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Articles on Ross River virus

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Cameron Webb/NSW Health Pathology

Where do all the mosquitoes go in the winter?

Mosquitoes are commonplace in summer but where do they go once the weather cools? They don’t completely disappear but find fascinating ways to survive the winter.
Detecting viruses in wild-caught mosquitoes provides intimate detail of disease transmission cycles. University of Washington SPH/Flickr

How a new test is revolutionising what we know about viruses in our midst

We monitor mosquitoes to help predict and control virus outbreaks. And a new technique for collecting mosquito saliva from the field has made the process both more sensitive and inexpensive.
For exposed skin, there really isn’t an alternative to topical insect repellents. LoloStock/Flickr

Chemical or natural: what’s the best way to repel mozzies?

Mosquitoes need blood to survive. And what better place to get a good meal than a slow, tasty human. Mosquitoes aren’t just annoying. Every year around 5,000 Australians get sick following a mosquito bite…
The pest hides out in pot plants and rainwater tanks, and feeds on humans and pets. Clivid/Flickr

Aussie mozzie found in urban California

An Australian native mosquito has for the first time been detected in urban California, in the latest wave of mozzies hitching rides to new destinations. While it is unlikely to pose a significant health…
The saltmarsh mosquito, Aedes vigilax, transmits Ross River virus in many coastal regions of Australia. Mr Stephen Doggett (Medical Entomology, Pathology West - ICPMR Westmead)

Explainer: what is Ross River virus?

Ross River virus infection is the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in Australia, with more than 4,000 cases of illness are reported every year. Activity has been recorded from every state…
A primary carrier of the Chikungunya virus, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) could easily hop to mainland Australia from Torres Strait islands. Camponotus Vagus

Explainer: the chikungunya virus and its risk to Australia

Chikungunya is a virus transmitted to people by mosquitoes; it usually causes a non-fatal but debilitating illness. Despite thousands of people being infected each year in Africa, Asia and Melanesia, chikungunya…

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