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Articles on Zika

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A field hospital in São Paulo state, Brazil, on March 26, 2021. Brazil keeps setting new COVID-19 records, with up to 4,000 people dying daily. Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images

Scarred by Zika and fearing new COVID-19 variants, Brazilian women say no to another pandemic pregnancy

Officials in Brazil recently asked women to avoid pregnancy, citing heightened risk to them and newborns. But births were already dropping; a new study attributes it to the trauma of Zika.
In 2018 scientists of the Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control tested a new way to suppress mosquito populations carrying the Zika virus. RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images

Genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in Florida and Texas beginning this summer – silver bullet or jumping the gun?

Release of GM mosquitoes in Florida is imminent. But a multidisciplinary team of scientists believe that more studies are needed first. They encourage a publicly accessible registry for GM organisms.
The pangolin, one of the most poached animals in the world, could have served as an intermediate host in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Wahyudi/AFP

Covid-19 or the pandemic of mistreated biodiversity

Covid-19, like other major epidemics, is not unrelated to the biodiversity and climate crisis we are experiencing.
Although yellow fever does not currently exist in Australia, the species Aedes aegypti - which can transmit the disease - is found widely across northern Queensland. The virus remains a global health concern, but citizen scientists could help prevent its spread. Simon Kutcher/flickr

As heat strikes, here’s one way to help fight disease-carrying and nuisance mosquitoes

Nuisance-biting and mosquito-borne disease are ongoing concerns for health authorities. But an effective citizen science program is now showing how all of us can help beat the bite of mozzies.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting Zika. AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Why it’s so difficult for scientists to predict the next outbreak of a dangerous disease

In January, measles returned to the Pacific Northwest, while Ebola resurged in the Congo. It would take a lot more research for scientists to be able to stop threats like these in their tracks.
A female Anopheles stephensi mosquito bites a human to get a blood meal through its pointed proboscis. A droplet of blood is expelled from the abdomen after having engorged itself. Jim Gathany/Wikimedia Commons

Using gene drives to control wild mosquito populations and wipe out malaria

Researchers are exploring genetic forms of population control called gene drives that spread traits faster that happens naturally. The goal is to curb mosquito-borne diseases like malaria.
The mosquitoes that spread Japanese encephalitis are usually found in wetlands and drainage ditches, and will be out biting mostly at dawn and dusk. Bryon Lippincott/Flikr

What is Japanese encephalitis virus and how can I avoid it when I travel?

Japanese encephalitis virus is rare and doesn’t usually cause symptoms. But in a small proportion of cases it can result in long-term neurological impairment and death.

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