Wear repellent: Zika-friendly mosquito found in Mobile
Auburn University researchers including Assistant Professor of Disease Ecology Sarah Zohdy, supported by the Alabama Department of Public Health, conducted a focused program of mosquito trapping in 2016 and 2017 to identify what mosquitos are out there and what they’re carrying. Among the findings: The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which hadn’t been reported in Alabama for 26 years, was found in Mobile, Alabama. “It is very important that we have been able to collect aegypti,” she said, even though it’s not a complete surprise. The whole region is suitable aegypti habitat, Stevens said, and they’ve been here before. “About 30 years ago we had aegypti all over the state in high numbers,” she said. But then albopictus moved in and ran the old gang ou...
For the first time in 10 years global malaria cases rising – BBC
Malaria experts fear disease’s resurgence For the first time in 10 years, global malaria cases are no longer falling, sparking concerns about a resurgence of the too often deadly disease. Experts, and philanthropist Bill Gates, are urging country leaders gathering at the Commonwealth summit in London to pledge more money to fight the illness. In 2016, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria. There were 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries, an increase of five million compared with 2015. Without more investment and preventive action, we could see even more malaria and rising deaths, experts warn. Malaria cases have been increasing in some parts of the Americas, South-East Asia, Western Pacific and Africa, although in many other regions infections are...
Daytime biting mosquitoes that could carry Zika found in Windsor for third year
Watch out. The Asian tiger mosquitoes tend to be active and bite during the day unlike native mosquitoes and don’t require much water to breed. It’s the third year in a row adult Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) have been found here. “Because of climate change and because of the mosquitoes travelling to longer distances, the risk is there which is, I think, a new risk and our community needs to be aware of these new risks,” Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Tuesday. In light of the May discovery, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reminding the public to protect against mosquito bites by using insect repellant, wearing light-coloured clothing and getting rid of even small amounts of standing water in your yard. The Asian tiger mosquitoes tend ...
Dengue fever emerges in Mareeba for first time in 15 years
DENGUE fever has emerged in Mareeba for the first time in 15 years, with public health officials reminding Far North Queenslanders to be vigilante with mosquito protection. Tropical Public Health Services in Cairns this morning confirmed the first locally-acquired case of the mosquito-borne disease in the Far North, after the Mareeba woman recently presented with dengue-like symptoms. It is the first locally-acquired case of dengue fever to be recorded in Mareeba since 2003. Public health crews are currently in the town carrying out mosquito control where dengue mosquitoes have been found to be breeding. Mareeba is outside the scope of the World Mosquito Program, formerly known as the Eliminate Dengue program. To date, there has not been any cases of dengue in other parts of the Far North ...
2,000 people have died of West Nile virus in the United States
About 2,000 people have died of West Nile virus in the United States since it was first detected in New York City in 1999, reports the CDC. 2017 – 2,002 cases of WNV were reported in 47 states and the District of Columbia, with 121 deaths. 2016 – 2,149 cases of WNV were reported in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with 106 deaths. 2015 – 2,175 cases of WNV were reported in 44 states and the District of Columbia, with 146 deaths. 2014 – 2,205 cases of WNV were reported in 44 states and the District of Columbia, with 97 deaths. 2013 – 2,469 cases of WNV were reported in 47 states and the District of Columbia, with 119 deaths. 2012 – 5,674 cases of WNV were reported in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, with 286 deaths. 2011 –...
Several US states report Zika virus infection
As of May 2, 2018, the CDC so far report 21 new cases of Zika virus in 2018. Provisional Data* as of May 2, 2018 Zika virus disease is a nationally notifiable condition. Cases are reported to CDC by state, territorial, and local health departments using standard case definitions.
West Nile virus is deadlier than thought
Since West Nile fever first appeared in the United States in 1999, more than 45,000 people have been infected, and nearly 2000 of them are known to have died, for a roughly 4% fatality rate. But a new study, reported today here at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggests that the fatality rate may be much higher. That’s because people infected with the virus may still die years after recovery, because it leaves them more vulnerable to other infectious diseases and kidney problems like renal failure. “This is exciting work,” says Gregory Ebel, a virologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, who was not involved in the study. “It’s really strong support for a case that has been building for almost 10 years now.” West Nile fever w...
In U.S. territories, there are 30,074 cases of the Zika virus
The CDC reports 3,988 confirmed cases of Zika in the United States and in D.C. In U.S. territories, there are 30,074 cases of the virus. According to the CDC, 1,005 of the cases in the United States are in pregnant woman. There are 2,263 pregnant women in U.S. territories with the virus.
Thailand investigates four cases of suspected Zika-linked microcephaly
Reuters’ reports from Bangkok that Thailand is investigating four suspected cases of Zika-related microcephaly in three babies and a 36-week old unborn baby, the public health minister said on Tuesday, in what could be the first cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Southeast Asia. Several countries in Southeast Asia have reported increasing cases of infection from the mosquito-borne Zika virus but Thailand has one of the highest numbers in the region, with 349 confirmed since January, including 25 pregnant women. Public Health Minister Piyasakon Sakolsatayadorn said authorities needed to be thorough in their investigation of the cases as confirmation would be “sensitive”.
Zika Virus Found in Eyes of Adult Patients, Study Finds
ABC news reports that the Zika virus has been found in fluid around the eyes of some patients, shedding new light on how the virus affects healthy adults, according to a study published today in Journal for the American Medical Association Ophthalmology. The eyes of six patients infected in South America were swabbed by researchers from the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health in China. When they tested their eye fluids, they found Zika virus RNA. “Here we have some evidence when the adult is infected, it would appear that highly specialized neural tissue is infected,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical School, told ABC News.
PROTECT supporting Childline at the NSPCC Ball
Protect is supporting Childline and the NSPCC at their fundraising ball at the Landmark Hotel, London. Protect has donated a number of products. Mosquito-borne diseases remain the number one killer of children worldwide with malaria killing one child every 40 seconds.. Protect joins the NSPCC in its mission to improve the lives of children globally.
Tests Confirm Mosquitoes in Miami Beach Are Carrying Zika Virus
The New York Times has reported that Florida announced on Thursday that, for the first time, mosquitoes in Miami Beach had tested positive for the Zika virus, a disappointing confirmation that the virus is still active in the area. Florida is the only place in the continental United States where Zika is actively circulating, but the virus is spreading. The Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads Zika is famously difficult to fight, and experts often say that testing the bugs to find the virus is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The three samples that tested positive all came from a 1.5-square-mile area in Miami Beach where locally acquired cases of Zika had been confirmed. The significance of the results depends on where the mosquitoes were collected, said Scott C. Weaver, the director...