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Articles on Chikungunya

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Aedes aegypti, found across much of the U.S., spread Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other viruses. Mailson Pignata/iStock via Getty Images

Female mosquitoes rely on one another to choose the best breeding sites − and with the arrival of spring, they’re already on the hunt

Female mosquitoes don’t want to lay their eggs alone, but they don’t want sites that are too crowded either. Understanding what guides their choice could inform new control strategies.
Mosquito eggs can remain viable for years even in dry conditions and hatch after heavy persistent rains. Shutterstock

Heavy rains put Kenya at risk of mosquito-borne diseases

Prolonged rains increase the amount of stagnant water in the environment in which mosquitoes breed. This increases the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
Cages full of hand reared yellow fever mosquitoes await research (or possibly release) Cameron Webb, NSW Health Pathology/University of Sydney

Pitting mozzies against mozzies to stop the spread of disease

Upscaling the success of emerging mosquito control technologies relies on automating the rearing and release of millions of mosquitoes. Australia is to become the testing ground for a novel strategy.
The outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil had Australian travellers on alert but transmission is only possible in tropical Queensland. Cameron Webb

Common Australian mosquitoes can’t spread Zika

New research shows common local mosquitoes aren’t able to spread Zika. This means Australia is unlikely to see a major outbreak of the disease. But a risk remains in northern Queensland.
A patient with symptoms of the Chikungunya virus in a Dominican hospital. Outbreaks have been reported in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Reuters/Ricardo Rojas

Chikungunya epidemic casts its pall: what you should know

There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat the chikungunya virus infection. The only available method of prevention is through shielding people from mosquito bites.
There is little doubt the virus can make it to Australia. mrfiza/Shutterstock

Does Zika virus pose a threat to Australia?

They’re small, spindly insects but their threat never dwindles – the bites of mosquitoes threaten death and disease in many parts of the world.

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