West Nile virus

Whenever you take a flight or cruise on a holiday or vacation to tropical climates it is possible that you might encounter mosquito borne diseases. The following info will help you take measures to protect yourself. The mosquito is a major cause of a number of serious diseases throughout the world. Five of the most prevalent mosquito borne diseases are Malaria, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue Fever, and West Nile Virus. Malaria is the most common of these diseases caused by mosquitoes, and can be fatal. Over a million people die from this disease around the world each year, but only female mosquitoes transmit ... Read Full Story

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Europe face a new health threat from a mosquito-borne disease far more unpleasant than the West Nile virus that swept into North America a decade ago, a U.S. expert said on Friday. Chikungunya virus has spread beyond Africa since 2005, causing outbreaks and scores of fatalities in India and the French island of Reunion. It also has been detected in Italy, where it has begun to spread locally, as well as France. "We're very worried," Dr. James Diaz of the Louisiana University Health Sciences Center told a meeting on airlines, airports and disease transmission sponsored by the ... Read Full Story

DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have identified the dominant chemical naturally produced by humans that attracts some mosquitoes to people. University of California-Davis researchers said they discovered the odor naturally produced in humans and birds that attract the blood-feeding Culex mosquitoes, which transmit West Nile virus and other life-threatening diseases. The scientists said their findings explains why mosquitoes shifted hosts from birds to humans and paves the way for key developments in mosquito and disease control. Entomology Professor Walter Leal and postdoctoral researcher Zain Syed said they found the semiochemical, nonanal, triggers the mosquitoes' keen sense of smell, directing ... Read Full Story

Swiss scientists say a mosquito capable of spreading the deadly West Nile virus has been detected in central Europe for the first time. Zurich University researchers say the Asian rock pool mosquito has colonized an area of 1,400 square kilometers (540 square miles) in central Switzerland. Parasite expert Alexander Mathis said Friday the insect's larva was found in 122 of 3,500 locations tested. This indicates the species has gained a foothold and is spreading. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says lab research shows the mosquito can spread Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus. The species is native to Japan, Korea and China. It ... Read Full Story

Some people are just irresistible to arthropods, says Daniel R. Suiter, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of entomology at the University of Georgia. Whether you're a bug magnet or an occasional victim, you risk more than just itching, swelling, and pain when bitten. Many insects carry debilitating diseases like malaria and West Nile virus. To avoid becoming a bug's lunch, it helps to know the facts and myths about the most common flyers and crawlers-and the best defense against them. Mosquitoes Once temperatures hit the mid-60s, mosquitoes are out-and ready to bite. As carriers of diseases like malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, and ... Read Full Story