The Case for Greater Focus on Mosquitoes and Other Arthropod Vectors in Epidemiology
The textbook approach to managing disease outbreaks focuses on pathogen, host, and environment but leaves out insect or arthropod vectors. For afflictions such as Zika, malaria, and Lyme, a report in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America proposes a new version of the classic 'epidemiologic triad' that better reflects the complexities of managing vector-borne diseases.
Kissing Bugs Kiss Their Hiding Spots Goodbye, Thanks to Tiny Radio Transmitters
In a new pilot study, researchers in Texas used miniature radio transmitters to track the secretive movements of kissing bugs, a method that could provide new advances in reducing kissing bugs' impact as a vector of Chagas disease.
Study of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Finds No Evidence of Natural Wolbachia Infection
A new study of genetic samples from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from around the world finds no evidence of naturally occurring infection with Wolbachia bacteria, a positive sign for efforts that artificially introduce Wolbachia to mosquito populations to reduce their numbers or interrupt their ability to transmit disease-causing pathogens.
Mites Emerge as Key Vector in Encephalitis Outbreaks in India
Larval mites, known as "chiggers," from the family Trombiculidae are vectors of the bacteria that causes scrub typhus. The infection has been implicated as a common cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in India, where public health professionals are looking to better understand the variety of mite species present on rodents and their rates of infection.
Mosquito Sculpture Delivers Entomology, STEAM Education at Maryland Middle School
Meet "Wiley" the mosquito, a sculpture at Bates Middle School in Annapolis, Maryland, part of a school-wide integrated education program supported by the Entomological Foundation.
Beware the “Dark Side” of Light Traps
Light traps are useful collecting devices to sample large numbers and species of insects, but they also may mask infestations of some insect-borne illnesses and even expose humans to disease vectors.
Vector Control Experts Sought for Onsite Aid in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
The Caribbean Emergency Vector Response Network, a grassroots effort to coordinate aid after the hurricanes, issued a call for volunteers to deploy to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to provide vector control assistance.
Faster ID of Mosquito Species Possible via CDC Improvements to DNA Testing Methods
A crucial step in management of mosquito-borne diseases is knowing exactly what kind of mosquitoes are present in any given locale. Are they garden-variety species that aren’t carriers of human […]
Building a Better Light Trap: Study Finds Specific Light Waves Attract Anopheline Mosquitoes
By Andrew Porterfield For more than 50 years, the light trap—an incandescent light source attached to an insect collector—has been the standard for sampling potentially disease-carrying mosquitos. The U.S. Centers […]
Where Vector Management Meets Pollinator Protection, Local Collaboration is Key
Managing mosquito and tick populations and protecting the health of pollinators are growing concerns on a global scale, but success in both requires teamwork on the local level. A coalition […]