Aedes aegypti

Pandemic Risk: Zika Mosquitos in 129 California Cities

The mosquitos that can carry the Zika virus have reportedly appeared in 129 California cities. With cold winter weather the only major obstacle to the Zika virus becoming America’s first pandemic since the 1957 Asian Flu, ground zero for a potential pandemic is now the West Coast.

A female Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen on the forearm of a health technician in a laborat

New Zika Virus Test Receives Emergency Approval

A new test for the ZIka virus has received emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just as officials announced the discovery of an additional mosquito found to be carrying the virus deep into the United States.

Zika virus in Asian tiger mosquito

Brazil Nears 100,000 Zika Cases Less Than 100 Days from Olympics

Brazil confirms this week it has documented a staggering 91,387 cases of Zika in 2016, with more than 7,000 cases being pregnant women. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns the number of Zika cases globally is set to increase, though cooling temperatures may finally lower the rates of infection in Brazil itself.

aedes aegypti mosquitoes spreads zika virus

Rio Olympics Further Threatened as Doctors Estimate 2 Billion at Risk for Zika

A new study finds that up to 2.2 billion people worldwide are at risk of contracting the Zika virus, which can cause irreparable damage to unborn children and cause painful nerve damage. The study adds to the woes looming over Brazil – the epicenter of the Zika outbreak – as the nation prepares to welcome thousands for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Reuters/Pilar Olivares

Argentina Stocks Up on Mosquito-Eating Frogs to Fight Zika

Facing significant shortages of imported insect repellants in light of Latin America’s Zika pandemic, Argentines are turning to an online market selling mosquito-eating frogs and toads to protect their homes from Aedes aegypti, the carrier of Zika, Dengue fever, and Chikungunya.

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Many Texas Counties Ill-Equipped for Zika Fight

The responsibility for protecting our communities in Texas from the Zika virus is local and municipal, say mosquito experts. The problem is that poorer areas do not have the expertise or the manpower because of their low tax base. Texas counties without formal mosquito districts or like services are ill-equipped to address Zika virus concerns.

Byron Chism, a mosquito technician with Dallas County, sets a mosquito trap to capture sub

Brazil Says Zika Virus Outbreak Worse than Believed

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s top health official said on Monday that the Zika virus outbreak is proving to be worse than believed because most cases show no symptoms, but improved testing should allow the country to get a better grip on the burgeoning public health crisis.

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African Researchers Use Ebola Tactics to Help Latin America Fight Zika

African disease control experts have offered to help Latin America combat the increasingly rapid spread of Zika virus across the Western Hemisphere. While Zika is not a threat in Africa, scientists working to combat Ebola there in the past two years hope to use methods successful against Ebola to prevent similar devastation in South America.

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Chikungunya! Mosquito-Borne Virus Found Again in Texas!

The first human case of Chikungunya (pronounced chik-un-gun-ya) has been confirmed in Collin County, Texas, located just northeast of Dallas. The infected individual recently traveled to another country and returned to the states with the virus. The risk of spread to Americans is from the virus being imported by travelers. Collin County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, statistical area.

chikungunya