ADVERTISEMENT
Three flying foxes (a type of bat) hanging upside down on a bare branch
Climate Change, Deforestation Drive Bat Virus Spillover Into Humans
Bats that experience food shortages due to climate change and habitat loss end up roosting in urban settings, where they shed more of the deadly Hendra virus. 
Climate Change, Deforestation Drive Bat Virus Spillover Into Humans
Climate Change, Deforestation Drive Bat Virus Spillover Into Humans

Bats that experience food shortages due to climate change and habitat loss end up roosting in urban settings, where they shed more of the deadly Hendra virus. 

Bats that experience food shortages due to climate change and habitat loss end up roosting in urban settings, where they shed more of the deadly Hendra virus. 

disease vectors

Mosquito on leaf stock photo
Combating Mosquito-Borne Diseases with CRISPR
Niki Spahich, PhD | Oct 11, 2022 | 4 min read
As alternatives to insecticides, Omar Akbari uses sophisticated genetic engineering methods to solve the world’s mosquito problems.
Photo of Colin Carlson
Colin Carlson Works to Predict and Prevent Viral Spillover
Catherine Offord | Jul 18, 2022 | 3 min read
The Georgetown University biologist studies how climate change contributes to the emergence of new zoonotic threats.
Mosquito with red abdomen and white stripes on human skin
Mosquitoes Add Bacteria to Water to Help Larvae Grow: Preprint
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 12, 2022 | 4 min read
Pregnant mosquito females deploy the microbe Elizabethkingia to speed larval growth; the larvae, in turn, help the bacteria outcompete other strains.
Yellow-brown hamster on top of cage with green background
Pet Hamsters Spread SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong: Preprint
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 4, 2022 | 2 min read
Scientists linked hamsters in a Hong Kong pet shop to 50 cases of the Delta variant in what appears to be the second documented occurrence of animals infecting people with SARS-CoV-2.
mosquito, dengue, vector, transmission, Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia, bacteria, virus, Zika, yellow fever,  chikungunya
Bacteria-Laced Mosquitoes Limit Spread of Dengue
Amanda Heidt | Aug 28, 2020 | 4 min read
Cases of dengue were greatly reduced in areas of a city where Wolbachia-infected mosquitos were released, according to preliminary data from a field study.
Infographic: The Lifecycle of African Swine Fever Virus
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 13, 2020 | 1 min read
Understanding how domestic pigs can be infected with the deadly virus could be key to protecting them from it.
LED flight simulator for mosquitos
Image of the Day: Mosquito Flight Simulator
Nicoletta Lanese | Jul 30, 2019 | 1 min read
Carbon dioxide pumped into a bright chamber mimics a breathing host for the pest to target.
Diseases From Ticks and Mosquitoes Have Tripled
Kerry Grens | May 1, 2018 | 1 min read
Warmer weather is thought to be behind the rise in vector-borne illnesses in recent years.
Flies’ Feet Can Spread Bacteria
Kerry Grens | Nov 26, 2017 | 2 min read
Lab experiments and metagenomic analyses of flies’ resident bacteria indicate that the insects carry microbes from place to place on their legs.
Bacteria-Treated Mosquitoes Released in More Locations
Kerry Grens | Jan 17, 2017 | 2 min read
Infected with Wolbachia, the insects are expected to reduce the spread of dengue and Zika. But scientists say the approach may have limitations.
Zika Update
Kerry Grens | Aug 24, 2016 | 2 min read
More locally acquired cases in Florida; fetal brain damage investigated
“Maleness” Gene Found in Malaria Mosquito
Anna Azvolinsky | Jun 30, 2016 | 3 min read
Researchers have identified the male-determining gene in the malaria mosquito, whose expression in females is lethal.
Opinion: Target the Vector
Mirco Junker | Jun 28, 2016 | 3 min read
Officials’ increased emphasis on mosquito control could benefit public health efforts beyond the ongoing Zika outbreak. 
Billboards Attract Mosquitoes
Tanya Lewis | Apr 21, 2016 | 1 min read
A marketing effort aims to trap Zika-transmitting mosquitoes by mimicking human scents.
Zika Update
Kerry Grens | Jan 25, 2016 | 1 min read
Health officials expect the virus to spread to nearly all countries in the Americas and expand warnings for pregnant women.
Plant Could Hinder Malaria-Control Efforts
Maina Waruru | Sep 30, 2015 | 2 min read
In the absence of a blood meal, some malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in East Africa feed on an invasive weed, scientists find.
GM Mosquito Cuts Wild-Type Numbers
Kerry Grens | Jul 21, 2015 | 2 min read
Release of a transgenic version of Aedes aegypti, a species that can carry dengue virus, decimated a local population of non-mutated mosquitoes, according to a study.
Camels’ Role in MERS Contagion Questioned
Jenny Rood | Jan 15, 2015 | 1 min read
A study suggests that transmission of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus from camels to humans is poor.
Chikungunya Transmission in France
Molly Sharlach | Oct 24, 2014 | 1 min read
The World Health Organization reports four locally acquired cases of the virus in the country.
ADVERTISEMENT