Posts by Marcos Sainz

“The United States hasn’t seen mosquito-borne Zika cases in two years, but scientists warn that complacency could be crippling or deadly for newborns.Fearing a comeback, the scientists are aggressively pursuing a vaccine and using special bacteria to neutralize mosquitoes that carry the disease.” To discover more, read below.

“Donna, from Rochdale, had set off in September for the trip of a lifetime around South East Asia to celebrate the end of her master’s degree.She had reached Cambodia when she noticed a painful lump on her right leg.” To discover more, read below.

“Globally, there was an explosion of measles in many countries, an unrelenting Ebola outbreak in Africa and a surge in dengue fever in Asia. There were also backslides in some diseases, like polio, that the world was close to wiping out.” To discover more, read below.

“Health officials reported five animal cases of EEE – three in deer and two in horses – and one human case in Barry County. Statewide, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 49 animal cases and 10 human cases of the disease. Four people died from the illness, health officials said.” To discover…

“Miami-Dade County now has 14 cases of confirmed dengue fever this year.The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County issued a mosquito-borne illness alert Monday afternoon after two Miami-Dade residents came down with symptoms.” To discover more, read below.

A very interesting study lead by Associate Professor Marc J. Lajeunesse and students from the University of South Florida discovered data that showed infected mosquitoes were less responsive to repellents than non-infected mosquitoes. Specifically, mosquitoes carrying dengue did show differences in response to repellents when compared to uninfected mosquitoes. To discover more, read below.

Sugar is an important energy source for mosquitoes. New research, published in Plos Biology, focused on the Asian tiger mosquito and sugar. The research team discovered that feeding sugar solutions to young tiger mosquitoes stimulated a physiological response similar to that after feeding on blood. To discover more, read below.

Florida International University biologist Matthew DeGennaro and a team of scientists discovered that geosmin, an organic compound with a distinct earthy flavor, attracts mosquitoes. “This discovery can be used to reduce mosquito populations by causing females to lay eggs in traps that will kill the larvae. The more eggs we trap and remove from the…