From upmatters.com
June 4, 2018

Researchers believe they’ve found something to stop the Zika virus from attacking fetuses. It’s a common drug that’s been around for years. 

Professor Alysson Muotri never thought he’d find a potential cure for Zika in his stem cell lab at UCSD. He started searching for a virus like Zika and he found one in early 2016. 

Muotri, Phd, Stem Cell Program Director, UC San Diego School of Medicine, says, “When we aligned the genome or the genetic material from the hepatitis c virus and the Zika virus, we noticed that they are from the same family and they share a region that is very similar between these two.”  

It’s the region the viruses use to replicate. Muotri tested the hepatitis c drug Sofosbuvir on brain stem cell models he calls “mini brains.”

Muotri continues, “The moms got very clean from the virus. There is no circulating virus in the body, and as a consequence, the fetuses are protected.”  

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From East County Magazine
June 1, 2018

June 1, 2018 (La Mesa) — San Diego County residents now have one more reason to find and dump out standing water in and around their homes to fight mosquitoes.

County environmental health officials have found a new type of invasive, aggressive, day-biting mosquito in La Mesa — the Australian backyard mosquito, Aedes notoscriptus, also known as the “Aussie Mozzie.”

County officials said they believe the mosquito is more nuisance than human health risk. However, it is aggressive and prefers to live and breed near people; in yards and even inside homes.

“One of the best things you can do to protect yourself from mosquitoes is to get rid of all standing water so they can’t lay eggs and breed near you,” said Chris Conlan, a supervising vector ecologist with the County’s Vector Control Program. “That means dumping water out of the saucers under flowerpots and toys laying in the yard. These mosquitoes are called the ‘backyard mosquito’ for a reason.”

County Vector Control found three adult female Australian backyard mosquitoes last week in a trap they placed in La Mesa in response to a complaint about mosquito bites. The mosquito had previously been found in Los Angeles about three years ago.

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From ABC 7 Fort Myers
May 31, 2018

This year there have already been more than 40 travel related Zika cases in Florida – 15 of those were found in Southwest Florida.

On top of that, local researchers say conditions are right for another outbreak.

“You don’t have to wait many years in between these outbreaks,” said biology professor, Scott Michael. “Sometimes they [the outbreaks] catch us by surprise.”

Michael teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and is also one of the leading researchers in the fight against Zika.

“Studying viruses is my way of helping,” Michael said. “These things are global as well as local.”

The work being done in his lab will go beyond Florida – it is going to reach parts of the world that need it.

Michael said the Zika virus is still a big issue for people in the Caribbean.

He said it not only takes an economic toll but also an enormous amount of human suffering, especially with children.

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From KRON 4
May 31, 2018

SAN JOSE (KRON) – Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, a pair of dead birds has tested positive for West Nile Virus on the Peninsula–and that means mosquito season is here and vector control is taking action. 

Dead crows found in Mountain View and Palo Alto have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

It means that mosquito season has arrived and with it the potential for the spread of the virus to humans.

“Once the mosquitoes are flying, and we know a certain proportion of them have the virus in them, they’re like little hypodermic needles and anyone who gets bitten by one of those mosquitoes is going to acquire an infection,” Santa Clara County Vector Control Assistant Manager Russ Parman said.

That’s why vector control is hunting for mosquitoes breeding. Trapping and testing are underway.

So far, no human cases of West Nile have been reported, but the virus is out there and the threat is real.

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From U.S. News
May 30, 2018

From KWQC
May 30, 2018

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KWQC) — The Illinois Department of Public Health has identified that mosquitoes from Glenview and Morton Grove, Illinois have tested positive for West Nile virus.

North Shore Mosquito Abatement District staff collected the positive mosquitoes on May 25, 2018. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far this year.

Monitoring for West Nile virus in Illinois includes laboratory tests for mosquito batches, dead perching birds, as well as testing sick horses and humans with West Nile virus-like symptoms.

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From NPR
May 29, 2018

Zika, bird flu, West Nile virus, Nipah: The world is constantly being warned of a new disease that threatens to wipe out humanity, and then it doesn’t. Why?

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The World Health Organization is in the midst of an experimental campaign to vaccinate tens of thousands of people in Congo against Ebola. The country is battling a new outbreak of the disease there. Also in the news – an outbreak of a deadly disease called Nipah in India. These are just some of the latest viruses to raise alarms around the world. Two years ago, it was Zika – before that, bird flu. Health officials say all these viruses have the potential to kill millions, and yet they haven’t. NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff is here to explain why.

Hi, Michaeleen.

MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF, BYLINE: Hi, Rachel.

MARTIN: So what’s going on? Why are there so many false alarms, if we can call them that?

DOUCLEFF: Yeah, so first off, I don’t want to minimize the power of these diseases. These are incredibly destructive outbreaks, even when they’re small or just restricted to a small area. For instance, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people. But for viruses to turn into pandemics that wipe out millions of people, they need two things – a high mortality rate, and they need to spread very easily. And it turns out, for viruses, this is really hard. For instance, Ebola – it’s very deadly but doesn’t actually spread very quickly or well. Same goes for Nipah, the virus that just cropped up in southern India. It kills up to 70 percent of people infected, but it also doesn’t spread very well.

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From The Chicago Tribune
May 29, 2018

The hot weather likely drew a few pesky and uninvited guests to holiday picnics this past weekend.

Mosquito season has returned and so has the annual reminder for folks to do their part in helping keep the mosquito population at bay.

Kane County Health Department spokesman Tom Schlueter said what most people are experiencing is a nuisance mosquito, which is not known for carrying disease.

The real threat, he said, comes from the Culex mosquito because it carries the dangerous West Nile virus. Last year 90 people tested positive for West Nile in Illinois, and eight people in the state died from the disease, according to Illinois Department of Public Health figures.

Because this mosquito species prefers hot, dry weather and its females lay their eggs in stagnant, still water, Schlueter said it’s critical to drain any liquid that’s accumulated in containers, flower pots, old tires and gutters and to change the water in bird baths weekly.

So far this year, no mosquitoes trapped in Kane or DuPage counties have tested positive for West Nile.

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From KXLY.com
May 29, 2018

(CNN) – An increase in birth defects associated with a 2015-2016 epidemic of Zika virus in Brazil caused widespread concern, fear and in some cases hysteria throughout the Americas. Now, research suggests that broadcasts of the epidemic coupled with dire health warnings inspired a very real response from the population.

About 120,000 fewer babies than expected were born from late 2015 through 2016, after the Zika outbreak began in Brazil, according to a study published this week in the scientific journal PNAS. The findings suggest that, due to fears of potential effects of a Zika virus infection during pregnancy, Brazilians postponed pregnancy or possibly had an increased number of abortions, the authors say.

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From KPBS
May 28, 2018

The number of diseases from mosquito, tick and flea bites has more than tripled in the United States from 2004 to 2016, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

San Diego County health officials say the populations of the invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes — which can carry diseases including Zika, dengue and yellow fever — are increasing.

To safeguard your home, county inspectors will come to your property to look for mosquito breeding grounds for free.

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From San Francisco Gate
May 28, 2018

Warmer temperatures in Santa Clara County may soon bug residents – literally, county officials said. 

The warming trend could result in increased mosquito and tick activity, so residents need to be diligent in inspecting and maintaining their properties, not to mention themselves and their pets, according to the city’s Vector Control District. 

To keep mosquitoes from reproducing and spreading West Nile Virus, the public is urged to eliminate standing water. This includes pet water bowls, which should be replaced frequently; birdbaths, which should be refilled weekly; and water in potted plant saucers. 

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From the Digital Journal
May 27, 2018

According to research from Yale School of Public Health, and supported by the American College of Physicians, a Zika vaccine would have a significant effect on mitigating and preventing future Zika virus outbreaks. The researchers postulate that via a mix of direct protection measures, with a vaccine, and an indirect practices designed reduce of transmissions, then the virtual elimination of the virus is achievable.

The researchers indicate that their computer model demonstrates the near elimination of Zika even with an imperfect vaccine and coverage that does not reach 100 percent. Zika vaccines are currently being developed, led by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO has launched several initiatives which maintain dialogue between vaccine developers, regulators and public health, aimed at identifying how best to achieve a rapid, robust, safe, and evidence-based licensing of Zika virus vaccines.

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From WAOW.com
May 27, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — –

A recently published study by University of Wisconsin researchers found the bats they studied ate 17 different types of mosquitoes, including nine that are potential carriers of the West Nile Virus.

Wisconsin Public Radio reports that researchers studied two species of bats; the little brown bat and the big brown bat.

Researchers analyzed the bats’ fecal material from samples collected at more than 20 Wisconsin sites in 2014.

Amy Wray is the study’s author and a UW-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology PhD student.

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From KTVN
May 23, 2018

Health officials in El Dorado County are reporting that a bird found in the South Lake Tahoe area has tested positive for West Nile Virus.

This is the first case found in the area for 2018.

The animal in question was collected on May 7. 

Three counties reported West Nile in dead birds this year, including San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Health officials say West Nile positive birds can heighten the risk of infection in humans. West Nile is transferred to humans through mosquitoes that carry the virus after they’ve fed on infected birds. The illness cannot spread from person-to-person but they’re saying it’s important to take precautions.

Symptoms of West Nile vary, with some showing no signs at all to high fever, severe headache, fatigue or a stiff neck that can last up to several weeks. The most serious cases can lead to encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain and can be fatal.

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From Michigan Radio
May 22, 2018

It’s not just the mosquito bite that’s a problem. When a mosquito bites you, it also drools on you.

Silke Paust is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.

“During this poking around phase, basically, and during the feeding, it automatically secretes saliva proteins,” she says.

She says there are more than 100 proteins in mosquito saliva. Paust and her team found those proteins trigger a complex immune response.

“If we can identify proteins in mosquito saliva that are required for pathogen transmission generally, then we can perhaps develop vaccines for them,” she says.

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From Plumas County News
May 21, 2018

People encouraged to protect themselves

Mosquito season is in full swing and the insects aren’t just nuisances, they can be dangerous.

There’s a whole list of diseases they carry depending on the insect — Zika, West Nile, Malaria and others. Of course it can depend on what part of the United States or which foreign country someone visits for some, but other disease opportunities are right here in Plumas County and the state.

Mosquitoes

It seems there is a scientific reason why mosquitoes like some people and almost never bite others — it’s all in the blood. Or rather close to it.

Actually there are two main reasons why mosquitoes are attracted to some people and not others.

Sight and smell seem to have a lot to do with why a mosquito is attracted to particular humans.

Mosquitoes use their eyes to find a target, according to Jonathan Day, a professor of medical entomology at the University of Florida in Vero Beach. Especially in the late afternoon, mosquitoes are more apt to be out scouting for food.

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From KXRA
May 21, 2018

A region-wide effort to better understand West Nile virus in ruffed grouse is getting underway in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

“In the Great Lakes region, West Nile virus has been found in a small number of grouse with no known population-level effects at this point,” said Charlotte Roy, grouse project leader with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Still, we want to let hunters know we’re in the first steps of monitoring the virus, and we’re planning to do some limited testing of birds this fall.”

In 2017, West Nile virus was identified in more ruffed grouse in the Great Lakes states than in the past. The virus has been present in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin for about 17 years.

West Nile virus has been documented in more than 250 species of birds; however, not all birds develop clinical disease from the virus. Corvids (including blue jays and crows) are very prone to illness and death from the virus, while other species may be less so or may not develop symptoms at all.

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From The Sacramento Bee
May 18, 2018

Since 2004, cases of disease spread by pests such as ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes have tripled nationwide. According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, these vector-borne diseases increased in the U.S. from 27,388 in 2004 to 97,075 in 2016.

Around the world, diseases spread by mosquitoes alone kill hundreds of thousands of people each year. Here at home, we are working hard to track and control the spread of West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika. Vaccines simply do not exist for most of these illnesses. Vector control is the best and only preventative defense against the health threats they pose.

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From Redlands Daily Facts
May 17, 2018

With summer approaching and more people hiking or simply enjoying the Southern California sunshine, concerns about blood-sucking ticks spreading Lyme disease are real.

However, while the disease infiltrated California nearly 30 years ago, the number of cases are way below those reported in the Northeast and Midwest. Vector-borne disease experts say Lyme disease is simply not a serious problem in Southern California.  The more prevalent problems come from mosquitoes carrying Zika, West Nile, dengue fever and chikungunya which afflict hundreds of people every year, experts say.

Still, that doesn’t mean Lyme disease never will be a problem.

Prevention and early detection are part of the safety protocol extended by the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as vector control and county health departments.  Experts recommend wearing bug repellent before going outside, and performing a post-hike body check for the black, spider-like creatures that can burrow deep in the skin.

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From UCLA
May 16, 2018

For the first time, researchers have found evidence that infants with laboratory confirmation of Zika exposure before birth have a higher prevalence of major cardiac defects compared to infants who were not exposed to the mosquito-borne virus.

Researchers confirmed in utero exposure to the Zika virus in 97 children through tests that detected the virus while their mothers were pregnant or when the infants tested positive for the virus after birth. In 23 other infants, the mothers tested positive for Zika while pregnant and the infants were found to have the virus after birth.

The researchers found that 48 babies (or 40 percent) had cardiac abnormalities. Of those, 13 infants (10.8 percent) had major cardiac defects that impacted the heart structure. None of the defects, however, required immediate surgical or medical treatment.

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From Houston Business Journal
May 16, 2018

Houston ranked No. 7 on a recent list of the 50 U.S. cities with the most mosquitoes. Houston ranked behind Dallas, which ranked No. 2.

The list is compiled by Orkin, an Atlanta-based pest control company and subsidiary of Rollins Inc. (NYSE: ROL), which ranks metro areas by the number of new residential and commercial mosquito customers it has served from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018.

Atlanta ranked No. 1. Other Texas cities to make the list include Austin at No. 20, San Antonio at No. 37, the Abilene area at No. 39, Waco at No. 41 and the Harlingen area at No. 50. Click here to see the full list.

Mosquito season most often comes alongside Spring temperatures, and are most active in temperatures above 80 degrees. Breeding season usually runs July through September, while peak West Nile virus season is usually not until late August through September, or even October in some areas.

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From KHOU11
May 15, 2018

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Now that the warm weather is here, Harris County officials say the perfect breeding conditions for mosquitos have arrived.

Harris County is home to 56 different kinds of mosquitoes.

At a press conference, the Harris County Office of Emergency Management showed off new technology and traps they’re using. They’ve placed nearly 500 traps at 268 sites around the county.

The county is continuing to partner with Microsoft research, using high-tech traps that can determine with infrared technology, when a a Zika mosquito has been caught or a West Nile mosquito has been caught, based on the flap of its wing. These traps can also determine the precise time the mosquitoes have been captured in the traps.

There is also a new interactive Mobile Mosquito and Vector Control Unit, which will help inform the community about mosquito born illnesses, such as Zika and West Nile virus. Dr. Umair Shah with the Harris County Health Department says the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus bite during the day. The mosquitoes that carry West Nile are considered nighttime mosquitoes.

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From The Tribune
May 15, 2018

One person was severely hurt and three others have minor injuries after they were attacked by a swarm of bees in a California neighborhood on Tuesday.

When Cal Fire firefighters arrived on scene in Palm Desert just before 9 a.m., they found “multiple bees in the area,” according to a release. Two of the victims were able to safely reach medics, while another victim had to shelter in place in their home, Cal Fire said.

Firefighters pulled the fourth person out of a pool, according to Cal Fire. They were taken by ground ambulance to a hospital in critical condition. The other three bee victims declined treatment.

As of about noon, Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District staff were able to get the bees under control, Cal Fire said. Palm Desert is about 125 miles east of Los Angeles.

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From Vice News
May 15, 2018

In the year since Brazil officially declared an end to the Zika outbreak, the aftermath has only just begun. An estimated 3,000 children have Congenital Zika Syndrome, the collection of neurological disorders that afflict the babies of mothers infected with Zika during pregnancy.

And Brazil is already struggling to treat them.

The most recognizable symptom of Congenital Zika Syndrome — and the first sign that this particular outbreak of Zika involved a new and unprecedentedly strong mutation of the virus — is microcephaly, or an abnormally small skull. Vanessa Van Der Linden, a pediatric neurologist who was among the first to see a link between Zika and microcephaly, says that’s now understood to be only one of many symptoms.

“The child with severe neurological damage possesses a spectrum of complications, which can be anything from impaired motor functions, eyesight, hearing problems, and arthrogryposis, which are deformities of the extremities,” Van Der Linden said. Another is epilepsy; some severely affected children have seizures every few minutes.

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From UPR
May 14, 2018

In the next week or so, Logan city will start spraying for adult mosquitos. Residents who don’t want their property treated can contact the city to opt out.

“People are concerned any time you have any kind of chemical, regardless of how safe it may be considered. For example, we’re spraying Zenivex, which is deemed low risk by the EPA,” said Rex Davis, the forestry foreman in the Logan City Environmental Division.

Last year in Cache County, there were 14 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in humans, animals and mosquitoes. Davis says he is more concerned about the virus than possible side effects of the spray.

“I’ve seen countless studies on this product. It’s a synthetic parathyroid that’s made from chrysanthemum flowers, and there’s no side effects noted yet with Zenivex,” Davis said. “But I would take those over what I guarantee and have proof of that can hurt humans, which is West Nile Virus.”

Spraying for adult mosquitos is a very noticeable mosquito abatement effort, but not the most effective one, Davis said. One of the best ways people can help reduce the mosquito population is eliminate standing water from around their home.

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From 3 News Las Vegas
May 14, 2018

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A lot of people think it is too hot and dry for mosquitoes in Southern Nevada but we do have our share.

Last year, a local man even died after contracting West Nile Virus, so the goal this year is education and prevention.

“It is nice to be outside, have a little lunch, fly a few drones, having a great day,” says Jerry Gann with Las Vegan.

Gann says it is not something he has ever thought about.

“I think life is too short for me to worry about that stuff, really,” says Gann.

Mosquitos might ruin a perfectly good day at the park. In truth he says, he has never seen a single one.

“We used to have a lot of them in Southern California, but here not anything. I have never been bitten, and I used to get bit a lot in Southern California,” states Gann.

According to the Southern Nevada Health District, there are actually 17 different types of mosquitoes in our area.

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From The Healdsburg Tribune
May 11, 2018

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Officials at the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District are reminding residents that prevention before, during and after being in tick habitat is key when it comes to protection against ticks and tick-borne diseases.

“The poppy seed-sized nymphs are active during this time of year and about 4 percent of them harbor the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease,” said Kelly Liebman, Scientific Programs Manager for the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District. “It is important to prevent bites and always check yourself and your pets for ticks after being outdoors.”

District staff conduct routine tick surveillance at various parks and public lands throughout Marin and Sonoma counties. Once collected, the ticks are tested for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The average infection rate among adult western black-legged ticks is between 2.3 and 3 percent in any given year.

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From KESQ
May 9, 2019

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control shows the number of tick and mosquito-borne infections has surged in the country, in fact, they say it’s tripled from 2004 to 2016.

According to the CDC, in 2016 nearly 100,000 diseases were caused by bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.

“That’s something to be concerned about because when it comes to tick-borne diseases, the only prevention is mosquito control and what people are doing to protect themselves,” Jeremy Wittie, general manager of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Wittie said his organization is doing all it can to make sure they stay ahead of the problem.

“One thing the district made a commitment to several years ago was bringing in our own lab and so last year, we tested a record number of mosquito samples. Over 5,000 samples, which has never been done before here, and that has really given our surveillance team, our public outreach time, as well as our operations team to really focus on where we need to be throughout the season to make the biggest impact on the mosquitoes that are infected,” Wittie said.

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From Forbes
May 8, 2018

Zika, polio and adenovirus are hardly the first trio that comes to mind when considering the ‘next big thing’ in cancer therapy. Polio alone killed over 3,000 Americans per year in the 1950s before vaccination programs and continues to ravage the developing world, while babies with severe brain deformities due to Zika are still being born in South America.

Despite this, these killer viruses may well be a surprising source of hope for those with currently incurable cancers.

The idea to use viruses as cancer therapy is not new, having been proposed in a hard-to-pinpoint time in the early 20^th century, with traceable work beginning in earnest in the 1960s. My earliest experience of a cancer research lab was fifteen years ago in London, UK when I was still in high school, with a scientist studying viral therapies for pancreatic cancer. As I progressed through my education, finally becoming a cancer research scientist, I would sporadically check in on viral treatments, wondering whether much progress had been made and if anything had been approved.

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From VPR
May 8, 2018

Summer is approaching in the San Joaquin Valley, and that means it’s not only the season for sunscreen and paletas, but also mosquitoes—something local authorities are working on. For the last two years, the Fresno area has been the site of an experimental mosquito control program. And it’s back again. Here we examine the project’s latest, scaled-up season, and why it appears to be working.

If you’re expecting the ice cream truck on these hot May afternoons, you may be disappointed if you’re one of the few neighborhoods in Fresno County where a white van rolls up each day with a cartoon insect painted on the side.

Steve Mulligan is director of the Fresno Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District, and he says this white, high-top Mercedes van is part of a project called Debug Fresno. What’s inside? Lots and lots of mosquitoes. “We are releasing male mosquitoes in 3 neighborhoods in Fresno County to implement and evaluate a new, innovative mosquito control strategy against an invasive mosquito species,” Mulligan says.

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From The Lodi News-Sentinel
May 6, 2018

The Center for Disease Control reported this week that cases of mosquito- and tick-borne diseases in the United States tripled from 27,388 cases in 2004 to 96,075 in 2016, for a total of 640,000 cases in that 13-year period.

San Joaquin has seen relatively few mosquito- or tick-borne diseases since 2013, according to Dr. Gordon Arakawa, assistant public health officer for San Joaquin County. No cases of yellow fever have been reported in that five-year period, he said in an email, and only two cases of Lyme disease: one in 2014 and one in 2016.

From CheatSheet
May 6, 2018

The focus of a lot of media coverage over the past couple of years has been mostly on the Zika virus. Understandably so, given its ferocious appetite and deadly consequences. But another virus that once captivated the headlines still wreaks havoc to this day: West Nile.

Insect-transmitted diseases like West Nile virus are on an almost uncontrollable rise across the country. Because of that, you may want to hear the story of Missy Moris; a California teacher who knows all too well the actual dangers of the disease. After her encounter with the nefarious virus, her life will never be the same.

Missy Morris used to enjoy her time outside. She enjoyed having her morning coffee on the back porch. Sometimes her and her family would have dinner out there. She often slept with the windows wide open without a screen to interfere with the air flow.

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From The Times of San Diego
May 4, 2018

With temperatures rising and summer approaching, San Diego County officials announced Friday they will soon begin dropping mosquito larvicide on approximately 48 rivers, streams, ponds and other waterways.

Starting Wednesday, county Vector Control Program employees will use a helicopter to drop batches of granular larvicide on waterways about once a month during mosquito season to help protect the public from illnesses such as West Nile virus. The larvicide does not hurt people or pets, according to the county, but kills mosquitoes before they can mature.

Employees will treat more than 1,000 waterway acres stretching from Chula Vista in the south to Fallbrook in the north and from Oceanside in the west to Lakeside in the east.

The larvicide drops comprise one part of Vector Control’s yearly mosquito-control program, which includes treating potential mosquito-breeding areas by hand, giving out free mosquito-eating fish to the public, treating neglected swimming pools and testing dead birds for West Nile virus.

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From NBC DFW
May 4, 2018

What’s the deadliest creature on earth? Do sharks, crocodiles or snakes come to mind? Well, deaths from those creatures pale in comparison to mosquitoes.

Globally, mosquitoes kill more than 700,000 people a year. Researchers are now testing a vaccine that will protect people against one of those mosquito-borne diseases, the Zika virus.

Summer is just around the corner, a time for playgrounds, beaches and …mosquitoes.

“There’s a lot of mosquitoes out there and they carry a lot of diseases. They’re nasty pests,” said Sarah George, MD, an Infectious Disease Specialist at Saint Louis University.

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From The Livermore Patch
May 4, 2018

Ticks aren’t the only living creatures you have to worry about this summer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that mosquito-borne illnesses are on the increase in the country.

Mosquito-related illnesses have been marked by virus epidemics, including West Nile, the most commonly transmitted in the United States, according to the CDC. Overall, illnesses from mosquito, tick and flea bites have tripled in the country between 2004 and 2016. The report found that since 2004, nine vector-borne diseases were discovered or introduced for the first time in the United States and its territories.

The CDC said the nation needs to be better prepared to handle a potential outbreak of a vector-borne disease. CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in a news release that diseases like Zika, Went Nile and chikungunya have confronted the U.S. in recent years, adding that the country must invest in state and local health departments, which he called the nation’s first line of defense against vector-borne diseases.

• Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise In Calif., Elsewhere In US: CDC

In California, between 2004 and 2016, there were 9,254 mosquito-borne disease cases, according to CDC data. California was in the top 20 percent of states for mosquito-borne diseases and had one of the highest number of disease cases. The CDC says there are indications that disease cases were substantially underreported.

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From KENS5
May 2, 2018

A new study by researchers at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute shows that marmosets may be the key to a Zika virus vaccine.

Back in 2016, the World Health Organization declared the mosquito-borne virus a global health emergency. Zika was linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil and was rapidly spreading. As summer approaches, health officials at the Centers for Disease Control are warning expectant mothers to be especially vigilant.

Dr. Jean Patterson, one of the researchers at Texas Biomed, says that a possible vaccine is on the horizon with the help of pregnant marmosets. The New World monkeys from Brazil mimic a similar response to humans when they were injected with the virus. In the Texas Biomed study, researchers focused on the marmoset’s reproductive system.

“No other primates have shown to be so sensitive to Zika. We think part of it may be the large number of placenta cells that could serve as a reservoir to inoculate the fetus, and the fetus, perhaps, re-inoculating the placenta back and forth,” Patterson explained.

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From Houston Public Media
May 2, 2018

Texas is in the top 20% of states when it comes to the number of people getting diseases from mosquitoes, and the number of people infected by mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks has tripled in the United States since 2004. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) released a report Tuesday detailing the recent rise in cases of infectious diseases. Cases include long-known diseases, as well as nine new pathogens that have been discovered or introduced to the United States since 2004.

While the C.D.C. report covers mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, it is mosquitoes that Texans on the Gulf Coast have the most to worry about.

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From WIRED
May 2, 2018

THE YEAR 2004 was a simpler time to be an infectious disease doctor in the US. Zika and chikungunya hadn’t yet emerged. Mystery RNA viruses weren’t spreading by tick bite around America’s heartland, killing farmers and ranchers. Certainly no one was on the lookout for a meat allergy caused by a tick with a white splotch on its back the shape of Texas. But that was then.

Since 2004, the number of people who get diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick, and flea bites has more than tripled, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday. Between 2004 and 2016, about 643,000 cases of 16 insect-borne illnesses were reported to the CDC—27,000 a year in 2004 (the year in which the agency began requiring more detailed reporting), rising to 96,000 by 2016. At least nine such diseases have also been discovered or introduced into the US in that same timeframe. Most of them are found in ticks. Many of them are potentially life-threatening.

What’s to blame for the surge in reported cases? Warmer weather for one thing, said the agency’s director of vector-borne diseases, Lyle Petersen, during a media briefing. Warmer temperatures allow tick populations to expand into new ranges and set up disease reservoirs where none existed before. Earlier springs and later falls also extend the length of tick season, exposing more people to risks longer. And the warmer it gets, the faster mosquitoes can breed and the higher the viral loads they carry around; outbreaks tend to occur when temperatures are higher than normal.

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From YourCentralValley.com
May 2, 2018

MERCED COUNTY, California – Merced County is cleaning up, especially water in neglected pools. The county’s mosquito abatement district recently found there is a large number of those pools, which are the perfect place for mosquitoes to breed.

The potential for large amounts for mosquitoes worries the district because it means more carriers for certain diseases in the county.

Technicians with the district have been wasting no time to treat water turned green. Green water means algae is growing, which means mosquito larvae are feeding.

With the help of aerial photos, the county found there are more than 1,600 neglected pools. Initially, they thought they’d only have a couple hundred based on previous numbers.

“It was all just word-of-mouth and whatever the technicians came across,” said the district’s general manager, Rhiannon Jones. “The numbers were low because it’s all just by phone calls.”

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From The New York Times
May 1, 2018

The number of people who get diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick and flea bites has more than tripled in the United States in recent years, federal health officials reported on Tuesday. Since 2004, at least nine such diseases have been newly discovered or introduced into the United States.

Warmer weather is an important cause of the surge in cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the lead author of a study in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

But the author, Dr. Lyle R. Petersen, the agency’s director of vector-borne diseases, repeatedly declined to connect the increase to the politically fraught issue of climate change, and the report does not mention either climate change or global warming.

Many other factors are at work, he emphasized, while noting that “the numbers on some of these diseases have gone to astronomical levels.”

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From NBC News
May 1, 2018

More and more Americans are being infected with diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes, federal researchers reported Tuesday.

More than 640,000 Americans were infected by so-called vector-borne diseases between 2004 and 2016, and nine new diseases, from Bourbon virus to Zika, have shown up, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

In 2004, just 27,388 cases of these diseases were reported. In 2016, more than 96,000 were. These numbers are almost certainly an underestimate, the CDC added.

Most of the increase comes from the arrival of the Zika virus in 2015 and from ticks. Longer, hotter summers are not helping, said Dr. Lyle Petersen of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

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From The Record-Bee
May 1, 2018

Spring is mosquito time in Lake County and while this year’s mosquito problem is predicted to be less than last year’s when water left over from the winter floods was everywhere, you can still take a few precautions to reduce their number.

Backyard pools are breeding grounds for several species of mosquitoes. The good news is that the county’s mosquito population can be controlled. Lake County Vector Control has several methods of controlling the insects and they are free to the county’s residents. Two of the most popular are providing mosquito fish and spraying insecticides in mosquito-infested areas.

Only the female mosquito can bite and she does so to obtain blood from the victim, which allows her to produce eggs. The female mosquito has a mouth part called a proboscis, which is like a hypodermic needle. She pierces the skin of the victim and probes around until she locates a capillary, and then she sucks the blood. She also injects some of her saliva, which stops the blood from clogging. This is the point where she can transmit a disease directly into the victim.

The male doesn’t bite. There are also only a few species of mosquitoes that present a problem for humans. Depending on the species, mosquito eggs are laid singly or in rafts either on the water’s surface or on something solid that will eventually be under water. A female mosquito deposits 50-200 eggs. In the summer, the eggs can hatch into larvae in two to three days. Only unmoving water with organic material can support developing mosquito larvae, so females lay their eggs in tree holes that fill with rainwater, in tide water pools or salt marshes, in sewage effluent ponds, in irrigated pastures, in rainwater ponds or in horse troughs. Mosquitoes also will lay eggs in backyard habitats such as unmaintained swimming pools. Any container that holds water continually for a week may be a suitable habitat for a female to lay her eggs, even pet dishes and overflow reservoirs beneath potted plants.

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