mosquito

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The Symptoms Can Be 'Dreadful,' and It's Spreading

Dengue virus is making the rounds, though risk of widespread transmission in continental US is low

(Newser) - It's been reported that a "summer wave" of COVID has arrived , but that's not the only infectious disease making the rounds. The New York Times reports the mosquito-borne virus dengue is seeing a global surge, with an increased risk of contracting it even in our neck of...

Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes Are Swarming Vegas
Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes
Are Swarming Vegas
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 22, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes Are Swarming Vegas

Record number of skeeters carrying West Nile virus are showing up in southern Nevada

(Newser) - Dozens of ZIP codes in south Nevada, including Las Vegas, are being overrun by mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus, in what NBC News says are record-busting numbers. Health officials say that, in recent weeks, 24,000 pools of mosquitoes were tested for the contagious disease in 25 ZIP codes in...

Millions of Altered Mosquitoes Could Save Hawaii's Birds

Incompatible insect technique aims to limit disease-carrying insects on Maui

(Newser) - Ten million mosquitoes have been released over the Hawaiian island of Maui at a rate of 250,000 per week. Believe it or not, this isn't an effort to deter tourists, but rather one to save endangered birds. Many Hawaiian honeycreepers are disappearing due to avian malaria, a disease...

These US Cities Are Heaven for Mosquitoes

Los Angeles tops Orkin's top 50 list

(Newser) - Time to break out the repellent: Mosquito season is bearing down upon us. Pest control company Orkin wanted to see which cities in America have the most issues with the flying pests, so it analyzed the numbers on how many customers it provided residential mosquito treatments to in major metro...

Stormwaters Receding, but the Mosquitoes Aren't

Bugs are out in force in Houston, and it may be a common theme elsewhere

(Newser) - Houston is soaked. And the unusually heavy rain of the last few weeks—including a devastating storm last week —has led to an annoying side effect: mosquitoes. The city of bayous is all too familiar with the pests, of course, but they are out early and with a vengeance...

Illness That Caused 'Global Panic' Never Really Went Away

There's still no vaccine for mosquito-born Zika that struck in 2015; experts worry of future outbreak

(Newser) - In 2016, the United Nations declared that the Zika virus—a mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious neurological effects in newborns with infected moms— was no longer a worldwide emergency . But the virus didn't actually disappear: In fact, Medriva deems it a "silent threat still lurking." The...

5th State Reports Spread of Dengue
5th State Reports
Spread of Dengue
Oct 24, 2023 1:17 PM CDT

5th State Reports Spread of Dengue

California logs an unwelcome first with local transmission

(Newser) - California has reported its first locally acquired case of dengue, a mosquito-borne virus typically associated with tropical environments—part of a trend that has seen the virus spread in new areas affected by climate change. A person living in Pasadena tested positive for dengue despite no recent travel history, indicating...

Rare Disease Carried by Mosquitoes Surfaces, Killing 1

Another person in Alabama has been infected

(Newser) - Health officials have warned about a rare virus that can be transmitted by mosquitoes after its detection in distant states and the death of an infected person in Alabama. Two people became ill there, Live Science reports, with eastern equine encephalitis, which can inflame the brain. Both cases were in...

If Mosquito Season Feels Longer, That's Because It Is
We Now Have
More 'Mosquito Days'
new study
Jun 25, 2023 10:15 AM CDT

We Now Have More 'Mosquito Days'

Survey finds most parts of US see more 'mosquito days' compared to decades ago

(Newser) - A new report by Climate Central has alarming news for anyone who has ever found themselves on the receiving end of a flurry of mosquito bites: Warming temps are giving the pests more time throughout the year to find new sources of blood to feed on. As Georgia Public Broadcasting...

Invasive New Mosquito Species Is Spreading in Florida
Florida Has a
New, 'Concerning'
Mosquito Species
in case you missed it
Mar 26, 2023 11:25 AM CDT

Florida Has a New, 'Concerning' Mosquito Species

There are a lot of unknowns with Culex lactator

(Newser) - With around 90 species of mosquito already buzzing around Florida, is one more going to make much of a difference? Scientists say they just don't know, which makes it important to track the spread of Culex lactator, an invasive species normally found in Central America and northern South America,...

You Can Rid Your Yard of Mosquitoes Without Spraying

The AP offers some tips

(Newser) - Life comes with lots of little annoyances, few of them littler or more annoying than mosquitoes. Although it may seem difficult to avoid mosquitoes, the AP offers some ways to reduce or eliminate them from your yard and garden—without resorting to insecticidal foggers or sprays (which the AP points...

Key to Cracking Burglary Case: Two Squashed Mosquitoes

Police in China make a DNA match in blood analysis

(Newser) - Police in China say two mosquitoes helped them crack a burglary case in Fujian province. As the South China Morning Post explains, authorities in Fuzhou spotted two squashed mosquitoes on the wall of an apartment that had been burglarized. They tested the blood and found a DNA match for a...

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Work as Intended
Genetically Modified
Mosquitoes Work as Intended
in case you missed it
Apr 23, 2022 12:50 PM CDT

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Work as Intended

In Florida, engineered male insects mate with females, and offspring was doomed

(Newser) - Results are in from a pilot study in Florida, where millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes were released into the wild. Some referred to it as the “ Jurassic Park ” experiment when it was announced last year, but—so far—everything is going to plan, according to UK biotech firm...

A 'Miraculous' Bacteria Makes Mosquitoes Less Fearsome

The Wolbachia bacteria cut dengue infections 77% in study

(Newser) - Scientists say a "miraculous" bacteria has shown great promise in tackling the threat from one of the world's most dangerous creatures: the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In a large-scale randomized trial in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, the use of mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria cut cases of...

Mosquito Species in Florida Raises Disease Worries

It's been known to carry yellow fever virus in Brazil, though there's no sign of it in US

(Newser) - A species of mosquito recently found in Florida is causing concern about the spread of disease, including yellow fever. Aedes scapularis has been present in Latin America and the Caribbean and has been discovered in Brazil to be infected with diseases including the yellow fever virus and Venezuelan equine encephalitis...

After Hurricane, Mosquitoes Are Killing Livestock

'They're vicious little suckers'

(Newser) - In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, parts of southern Louisiana have become a mosquito paradise—and hell for livestock. Swarms of thousands of mosquitoes have killed hundreds of cows, along with deer, horses, and other animals, USA Today reports. The insects have been draining blood from the animals, leaving them...

Plan to Release 750M GMO Mosquitoes Gets Go Ahead
Plan to Release
750M GMO
Mosquitoes
Gets Go Ahead
in case you missed it
Aug 23, 2020 7:27 AM CDT

Plan to Release 750M GMO Mosquitoes Gets Go Ahead

Florida Keys residents aren't happy about 'Jurassic Park' experiment

(Newser) - Male mosquitoes don't bite people—but Florida Keys residents still have concerns about plans to release 750 million of them in a mosquito control project starting next year. The plan to release the genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes received final approval from local authorities Tuesday, causing an outcry from...

Plan to Release GMO Mosquitoes Moves Ahead

Florida approves experiment, though a last hurdle remains

(Newser) - A plan to set loose 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas will move forward despite concerns from environmentalists who liken it to a "Jurassic Park experiment." The non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes developed by British biotechnology company Oxitec contain a protein, passed to biting female...

A Consequence of Empty Buildings? Bigger Mosquitoes
Poor Neighborhoods Have
an Unusual Health Threat
new study
Dec 30, 2019 10:30 AM CST

Poor Neighborhoods Have an Unusual Health Threat

Study finds they have bigger mosquitoes

(Newser) - A new study out of Baltimore highlights an unusual health threat: Low-income neighborhoods with abandoned buildings have bigger mosquitoes. Researchers found this to be the case after an extensive block-by-block comparison in Baltimore, they report in the Journal of Medical Entomology . Bigger mosquitoes breed more, bite more, and live longer,...

Mosquito Experiment Has a Surprise Outcome
Mosquito Experiment
Has a Surprise Outcome
in case you missed it
Sep 21, 2019 12:05 PM CDT

Mosquito Experiment Has a Surprise Outcome

Instead of wiping them out, genetic engineering may have made them more 'robust'

(Newser) - The idea made sense on paper: Introduce male mosquitoes genetically engineered to be sterile into the bug population and watch the insect numbers drop. As New Atlas reports, that's generally what happened in a Brazil experiment—but only for about 18 months. At that point, the numbers rebounded, say...

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