#mosquito-borne diseases

[thoughtlessarse]

Mosquito-borne diseases are spreading across the globe, and particularly in Europe, due to climate breakdown, an expert has said. The insects spread illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever, the prevalences of which have hugely increased over the past 80 years as global heating has given them the warmer, more humid conditions they thrive in. Prof Rachel Lowe who leads the global health resilience group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Spain, has warned that mosquito-borne disease outbreaks are set to spread across currently unaffected parts of northern Europe, Asia, North America and Australia over the next few decades. She is due to give a presentation at the global congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona to warn that the world must be prepared for a sharp uptick in these diseases. “Global warming due to climate change means that the disease vectors that carry and spread malaria and dengue [fever] can find a home in more regions, with outbreaks occurring in areas where people are likely to be immunologically naive and public health systems unprepared,” Lowe said.

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Watch how quickly a decent malaria vaccine is developed.

[bpod-bpod]

Out of Tune

An irritating warning of itchy bites to come, the high-pitched whine of mosquitoes flying nearby is unmistakable – and not just to humans. To find potential mates, male mosquitoes detect the specific frequency of sounds made by the buzzing of female wings, a feature researchers are hoping to exploit to control mosquito populations. Inside the ears of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (pictured, with neurons in magenta, in males on the left, females on the right), several neurotransmitters pass on signals to enable sound detection, including serotonin (in green). Changing serotonin levels affects the way male ears respond to different frequencies, and feeding them a serotonin inhibitor reduces male attraction to female buzzing, suggesting that serotonin signalling is critical for functional hearing. Continuing to investigate ways of disrupting this process, that specifically target mosquitoes and can be deployed in the real world, could yield new weapons in the global fight against mosquito-borne diseases.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Image from work by Yifeng Xu and YuMin M. Loh, and colleagues

Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

Image copyright held by the original authors

Research published in Frontiers in Physiology, August 2022

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[rmlpathology]

Understanding Dengue Fever: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

Dengue fever, a virus that mosquitoes spread, has become a big health problem in hot and humid areas. This blog will tell you about the signs, reasons, and ways to avoid dengue fever, so you can know more and stay safe.

What is Dengue Fever?

The dengue virus causes dengue fever. Infected female Aedes mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, spread this virus to humans through bites. The virus has four strains. A person who gets infected with one strain might become immune to it. However, the other strains can still infect them. This raises the chances of severe symptoms.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever symptoms change based on how severe the infection is. People start to show symptoms 4-10 days after an infected mosquito bites them.

Mild Dengue Fever Symptoms:

high temperature (up to 104°F/40°C)

Bad headaches

Pain behind the eyes

Hurting joints, muscles, and bones

Feeling sick and throwing up

Skin rash showing up 2-5 days after the fever starts

A bit of bleeding (like nosebleeds or gums bleeding)

These signs go away within a week, but for some people, the sickness can get worse.

Severe Dengue Symptoms: Severe dengue also called dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, can result in life-threatening issues like plasma leakage fluid buildup, breathing problems heavy bleeding, and organ damage. Severe dengue has these signs:

Intense stomach pain

Non-stop throwing up

Bleeding from the gums or nose

Blood in pee, poop, or vomit

Trouble breathing

Tiredness, unease, or crankiness

Severe dengue might show up after the fever goes away, so it's vital to watch infected people.

Causes of Dengue Fever

The dengue virus infects humans when Aedes mosquitoes with the virus bite them. A mosquito gets the virus when it bites someone who has dengue in their blood. Once a mosquito has the virus, it can pass it to others. Remember, dengue can't spread between people.

You're more likely to get dengue if:

You live in or visit tropical or subtropical areas where dengue is common (like Southeast Asia, Pacific islands, Latin America, and Africa)

You're around infected mosquitoes when they're most active (early morning and late afternoon)

Complications of Dengue Fever

Severe dengue can lead to problems like shock bleeding inside the body, and harm to organs such as the liver and heart. Without treatment severe dengue can kill. You need to get medical help right away if you notice any serious symptoms.

How to Prevent Dengue Fever

No specific cure or shot exists for dengue fever so stopping it from spreading is crucial. Here are some key ways to prevent it:

Don't Let Mosquitoes Bite You:

Put on bug spray with DEET, picaridin, or lemon eucalyptus oil.

Cover up with long sleeves, pants, and socks to shield your skin.

Set up bug nets or screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house.

Get Rid of Mosquito Breeding Grounds:

Dump out and clean any containers that collect water, like flower pots, buckets, and tires where mosquitoes lay eggs.

Switch out the water in outdoor pet bowls and bird baths often.

Keep Up with the News:

Watch out for dengue outbreaks if you travel to or live in areas with high risk. Stay away from places full of mosquitoes when these pests are most active.

Shots in High-Risk Places:

Some countries offer the dengue shot Dengvaxia, but doctors suggest it for people who've already had dengue. If you've never had dengue, this shot isn't for you because it might make dengue worse if you catch it later.

When to See a Doctor

If you have symptoms of dengue fever after a trip to an area where dengue spreads, get medical help right away. Quick diagnosis and proper care can lower the chance of problems.

When to Get Tested for Dengue

If you have symptoms such as high fever, body aches, or bleeding after visiting an area with dengue outbreaks, you should see a doctor. At RML Pathology, our complete testing services will help confirm the diagnosis allowing for quick care and lowering the risk of serious complications.

Dengue fever can be deadly. Quick diagnosis, prevention, and treatment are key to fighting this disease. Keep yourself informed, take steps to prevent it, and get tested at RML Pathology to have the best chance of recovery.

Keep yourself protected and take action in the battle against dengue with cutting-edge diagnostic help from RML Pathology!

Conclusion

Dengue fever is a serious illness that can turn into life-threatening conditions. Knowing its symptoms, causes, and ways to prevent it helps you take steps to protect yourself and your family. Stay alert in places where dengue often occurs, and control mosquitoes to cut down the risk of getting sick.

For people in areas with lots of mosquito’s steady work on prevention and staying informed can help control the spread of dengue fever.

This blog offers a complete guide to dengue fever. It stresses how crucial it is to spot, prevent, and treat this disease. To protect your health from this mosquito-spread illness, it's key to stay in the know and take the right steps.

[townpostin]

Indian Red Cross Society to Boost Activities Across Jharkhand

Red Cross district branches to accelerate humanitarian programs, focusing on blood donation and health camps. Red Cross branches in Jharkhand to intensify humanitarian efforts, with a special focus on blood donation and health services. JAMSHEDPUR – Red Cross branches across Jharkhand will soon intensify humanitarian programs, with a focus on blood donation drives. The Indian Red Cross Society’s…

[uniqueeval]

Can forgotten rubella children of the ’60s hold clue for Zika babies?

Story highlights Babies with multiple birth defects were born to US women infected with the rubella virus in the 1960s What these families have needed may signal what’s in store for Zika babies Brooklyn, New York CNN  —  One side of the bedroom is an explosion of pink, from the hair accessories and dangling trinkets to the stuffed animals and laundry hamper. The other, starting with the fuzzy…

[nancykhemchandani]

Staying Healthy During the Rainy Season: Essential Precautions and measures

Discover essential health precautions and measures to stay safe during the rainy season. Learn how to protect yourself from waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases.

[facts1590]

Staying Healthy During the Rainy Season: Essential Precautions

Discover essential health precautions and measures to stay safe during the rainy season. Learn how to protect yourself from waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases

[scienceswitch]

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance – they can completely ruin your ability to enjoy the outdoors during spring and summer. Their unrelenting biting and buzzing can make your backyard unusable. Even more alarmingly, certain species like the Aedes aegypti mosquito can transmit dangerous diseases such as Zika virus, dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever. Luckily, there are many highly…

[rjzimmerman]

Anthony Fauci: A Mosquito in My Backyard Made Me the Sickest I’ve Ever Been. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times Op-Ed by Anthony Fauci:

There is no treatment for West Nile virus disease, and I was left to deal with its toll on my body. It was terrifying. I could not swing my legs over the side of the bed to sit up without help from my wife and three daughters. I could not stand up without assistance and certainly could not walk. A very scary part of the ordeal was the effect on my cognition. I was disoriented, unable to remember certain words, asking questions of my family that I should have known the answers to. I was afraid that I would never recover and return to normal.

Fortunately, over a period of a few weeks slow improvement began. I was able to walk with a walker and then without any assistance. Now I can walk a few miles per day with only minimal fatigue, and my cognitive issues have completely resolved. I am on my way to a total recovery, but it has been a harrowing experience.

I tell my story because West Nile virus is a disease that, for many people, can have devastating and permanent consequences. At my age of 83, I was at risk of permanent neurological impairment and even death. Yet the public may be unaware of the danger of this disease and that it continues to spread across the United States; it has been identified in 46 states this year. Unfortunately, very little is being done about it from scientific and public awareness perspectives.

West Nile virus belongs to the family of flaviviruses that also includes yellow fever and dengue viruses. It was first detected in the United States in the New York City area in 1999, most likely introduced from the Middle East or parts of Africa where it is prevalent. Mosquitoes get the virus from infected birds, and then pass the virus on to humans by a bite. West Nile virus infection is by far the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States: Since 1999, about 60,000 cases have been reported. The actual number of infections is surely higher, no doubt in the millions, since many cases are not reported because infections are often asymptomatic or are confused with other common maladies such as flu. Among the reported cases in the United States, more than 30,000 have had neurological symptoms like mine, resulting in about 23,000 hospitalizations and close to 3,000 deaths.

As climate change makes it easier for mosquitoes to proliferate in many places, West Nile virus disease as well as other mosquito-borne illnesses are emerging as greater threats in this country and elsewhere. Yet, efforts to develop a vaccine or treatment for this illness are modest compared with those for other diseases of public health importance.

So, how do we address this emerging public health threat? Vaccine development must go forward; however, to be successful, clinical trials must be international and include countries with a consistent and large number of cases each year. The pathway to a vaccine cannot be in the United States alone. Global public-private partnerships between the N.I.H. and the drug industry have historically proved successful in the development of a number of important vaccines such as those against hepatitis B and Covid. There is no reason this shouldn’t also be the case for a West Nile virus vaccine.

The same holds true for the development of antiviral drugs. There is no insurmountable scientific obstacle to developing safe and effective antiviral drugs for West Nile virus infection. The pharmaceutical industry in collaboration with the N.I.H. and other partners had remarkable success in developing effective drugs for other emerging viral infections. Examples include lifesaving drugs for H.I.V. infection, therapies for hepatitis C infection and useful drugs for Covid-19 and influenza. With international research partnerships and political will spurred by an engaged activist community such as we have seen with H.I.V. and now long Covid, West Nile virus treatments and prevention tools should be within our grasp.

[there-goes-trouble]

"Massachusetts towns on alert over potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus. Ten Massachusetts counties are at high or critical risk from the mosquito-borne virus eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but potentially deadly virus, state health officials warn.

The big picture: There are currently no vaccines or medicines available to treat EEE, also known as "Triple E," which about 30% of people die from, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "[M]any survivors have ongoing neurologic problems," per an online CDC post. "

• Rebecca Falconer • (August 25, 2024) •

[thoughtlessarse]

One person in New Hampshire has died from eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare illness transmitted by mosquitoes. Europe, meanwhile, is seeing a rise in several more common illnesses. One of the latest mosquito-borne illnesses to put officials on alert is one that is rare yet serious, with some saying it could in the future spread more widely in the United States. One person died in the state of New Hampshire, officials said last week, after testing positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), a mosquito-borne illness native to North America and the Caribbean. There are an average of just 11 cases of the infection reported in the US each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and there have been five cases of EEE in the country so far in 2024 in the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. In 2023, there were seven reported cases. […] Rise of mosquito-borne illnesses in Europe Mosquito-borne illnesses also have health officials on alert in Europe, with West Nile virus and dengue, in particular, spreading. While a large majority of West Nile infections are asymptomatic, fewer than one per cent of people infected can develop neurological complications such as meningitis, which is inflammation of the spinal cord and membranes around the brain, or encephalitis. While European countries have had cases of West Nile since the 1960s, the number of infections has increased over the last 15 years, according to the French Pasteur Institute. Since the beginning of the year, 13 European countries have reported human cases of West Nile. Late last year, the EU Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said cases of West Nile had a more than sevenfold increase in 2022 due in part to outbreaks in Italy and Greece. The European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) added in mid-August that the number of cases in 2024 was within the expected range, even though cases were higher in Greece and Spain than in previous years. Like eastern equine encephalitis, mosquitoes become infected with West Nile virus by feeding on birds. However, humans do not have high enough concentrations of the virus to transmit these viruses to mosquitoes when they bite a human. This is different from other mosquito-borne illnesses, where humans can amplify the impact of the virus.

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[kiwisoap]

I usually feed Odyssey in the evenings (just cus that's how my schedule usually shakes out) and when I drop his food in, he ALWAYS slams it full force like he has to kill it. Anyway I fed him later than usual a couple nights ago and when I dropped the food in he didn't hop off his perch to get it. And I was IMMEDIATELY like "oh no he's sick, he's dying, this is a Symptom, my BOY,," (bc illness symptoms in raptors are often rapid-onset)

But he finally (carefully) hopped to the ground from his perch and walked over to the food and I realized that it was just slightly too dark outside for him and he was uncomfortable flying. Lmao

[drev-the-procrastinator]

cool awesome the great year continues and now my cat is seriously ill

[townpostin]

Campaign Launched to Prevent Dengue and Chikungunya in Jamshedpur

Filariasis Department conducts door-to-door spraying and awareness drive to protect residents from dengue and chikungunya. To prevent the spread of dengue and chikungunya during the monsoon, a special campaign is being run in urban and block areas of Jamshedpur. JAMSHEDPUR – The Filariasis Department is conducting a door-to-door campaign to prevent dengue and chikungunya during the monsoon. The…

[flagellant]

"Can we just genetically alter all mosquitoes to fundamentally redesign their entire evolutionary biology and ecological niche? I'd appreciate them a bit more if that way."

I understand you're probably being more than a little facetious but like...no? And if we can, we really shouldn't just go ahead and try and radically redesign the genetics of a keystone population like that.