dengue

Travelers beware: It’s a big year for dengue

7:00am June 29, 2024

by Pien Huang

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of an increased risk of dengue infections in the U.S. this summer. The mosquito-borne virus is surging, and human travel is expanding its reach.

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Victoria Micieli, director and scientist at the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies of the national scientific research institute CONICET, classifies different species of mosquitoes at a laboratory in La Plata, in Argentina's Buenos Aires Province, on Tuesday.

Here's what to know about dengue, as Puerto Rico declares a public health emergency

1:59pm March 27, 2024

by Joe Hernandez

Most people with dengue will show no signs of infection or experience only mild symptoms, but in rare cases infections can become severe and potentially fatal.

A patient is transferred to a hospital after receiving medical care at an improvised military aid station set up to treat suspected cases of dengue fever in the administrative region of Ceilandia, on the outskirts of Brasilia, on February 6, 2024.

Health & Safety

With a million cases of dengue so far this year, Brazil is in a state of emergency

4:00pm March 04, 2024

by Jill Langlois

Brazil looks to short-term and long-term strategies to fight a disease so painful it's known as "breakbone fever." The outbreak is part of a global wave of dengue triggered in part by climate change.

Mosquitoes can carry viruses including dengue, malaria, chikungunya and Zika. They are a growing public health threat abroad and in the United States.

Health & Safety

The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses

5:41am December 15, 2023

by Pien Huang

Experts warn that new tropical viruses are headed for the U.S. – and the country should take active measures to fend them off.

This mosquito spreads dengue, Zika and yellow fever too. Could these diseases make a human emit an odor that draws the insect in to take a bite?

Health & Safety

Why mosquitoes might find you irresistible. Hint: A viral lure

3:27pm June 30, 2022

by Ari Daniel

Researchers have found that certain viruses may have a trick up their sleeve that can make humans more attractive to mosquitoes. The study also revealed a possible remedy.

With her blood meal visible through her transparent abdomen, the female Aedes aegypti mosquito takes flight as she leaves her host's skin surface.

Why One Dangerous Mosquito Developed A Taste For Human Blood

4:13pm July 23, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Given the choice between an animal and a human, the Aedes aegypti species prefers ... us. A new study explains how that happened.

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Patients are treated for dengue fever at a hospital in Nicaragua, one of the countries where the virus is surging this year.

Health & Safety

Why Dengue Fever Cases Are Hitting Record Highs In Latin America

5:49pm December 17, 2019

by Pien Huang

Some of the reasons for the surge are expected — heavy rainfalls create lots of pools where mosquitoes can breed. But there are some surprising factors, like the Zika virus.

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Indonesians independently carry out fumigation in their neighborhood to eradicate the larvae of mosquitoes that cause dengue fever. A new vaccine to prevent dengue may be on the horizon.

There's A Promising New Vaccine For One Of The World's Top Health Threats

11:36am November 07, 2019

by Jason Beaubien

Dengue afflicts nearly 400 million people worldwide every year, but a vaccine has remained elusive. New research offers a path forward.

Health & Safety

We're Living Longer ... But A Medical Journal Sees Many Causes For Alarm

11:31am November 27, 2018

by Joanne Silberner

Life expectancy is up. The death rate for young children is down. So why is Dr. Richard Horton, editor of 'The Lancet,' worried about global health?

Researchers draw blood from a boy enrolled in the dengue study at a clinic in Managua, Nicaragua.

Scientists Solve 50-Year-Old Mystery About Breakbone Fever

5:20pm November 02, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For decades, scientists have noticed something particular about a mosquito-borne virus: The second infection can cause your blood vessels to leak, like with Ebola. Now scientists think they know why.