All articles tagged with #aedes aegypti
Dengue cases are rising in the U.S. as mosquitoes expand into new areas. Florida is the epicenter, with Hillsborough County reporting 95 cases. Local officials are using aerial spraying and door-to-door inspections to eliminate standing water, while experts warn that the disease is often mistaken for the flu, delaying treatment.
A dengue outbreak in Hillsborough County, Florida, has reached 95 documented cases since July 2026, prompting a coordinated response from local and state health officials. The Tampa Bay Times reported the death of an elderly woman on Sept. 8, 2026, which her family attributes to dengue, though the Florida Department of Health has not yet confirmed the cause. In response, Hillsborough County issued a mosquito-borne illness alert in August and launched aggressive aerial and ground spraying campaigns. Polk County, neighboring the outbreak area, has also intensified its mosquito control efforts, urging residents to eliminate standing water and use repellents. The outbreak highlights the growing threat of locally acquired dengue in the U.S., a disease previously associated with tropical travel, as warmer temperatures and urbanization expand the range of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
A Florida study of three common mosquito species (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus) shows that individual skin odors and microbes influence how attractive someone is to each species, with little overlap—no person was a universal magnet. The work used a uniport olfactometer on 119 participants to link specific skin bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium) and odor compounds to attraction, revealing both shared attractants (like certain fruity esters) and distinct preferences (ketones for Ae. albopictus, alpha-pinene for Cx quinquefasciatus). Findings could guide new repellents and probiotic approaches to reduce bites and disease risk.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the first breeding of invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in east London, prompting actions to destroy larvae and boost surveillance; public risk remains low with no human infections detected, though warming climate could allow more occasional occurrences.
Health officials in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have issued alerts after locally acquired dengue cases were reported in Florida, marking local transmission in the state. Dengue, also known as breakbone fever, is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. While the CDC says the overall risk of wide spread transmission remains low, residents should take precautions and seek medical care if dengue-like symptoms appear after travel to risk areas; through 2026 Florida has reported about 149 dengue cases.
The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County issued Aug. 3 alerts for dengue after a locally acquired case; three locally acquired dengue cases were reported between July 26 and Aug. 1, with four confirmed in 2026 across Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Officials emphasize preventing mosquito-borne illness by eliminating standing water, using repellent (especially at dusk and dawn), securing entrances with screens, wearing long sleeves and pants, cleaning rain gutters, replacing outdoor water, and requesting mosquito inspections.
Southern California is in peak mosquito season as West Nile–infected mosquitoes rise and invasive Aedes aegypti populations are targeted with Sterilized Insect Technique (SIT) releases. Authorities emphasize eliminating standing water to curb breeding, note SIT programs in the San Gabriel Valley and other areas as promising but still experimental, and report two human West Nile cases so far with no vaccine available.
San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District is releasing about 480,000 sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes over 16 weeks in a 25-acre Bassett area to prevent wild females from producing offspring, using Wolbachia bacteria; since these are males, they don’t bite, and the program aims to reduce mosquito bites and dengue risk as peak season arrives.
Sacramento’s Rosemont neighborhood kicked off a Sterile Insect Technique program by releasing 144,000 sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to outcompete wild males and reduce the invasive population, part of a plan to release 2.3 million sterile insects over 16 weeks. The Wolbachia-based approach is environmentally friendly and targets only Aedes aegypti, with previous Natomas pilot showing up to 40% population reduction. The program aims to lower disease risk from dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, while public health officials emphasize the need for residents to drain standing water, use repellents, and report unusual activity. If successful, the program could expand to additional areas.
With Cayman’s rainy season underway, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is intensifying efforts, conducting island-wide daytime aerial larviciding to kill mosquito larvae before they become biting adults, alongside surveillance and biological controls. Scientists identify 36 species on the islands, notably Aedes aegypti, which spreads dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Mosquito bites are more likely in people with higher body heat and carbon dioxide output, skin bacteria, or sweat chemistry, and ankles, wrists, and neck are common bite sites. Residents are urged to remove standing water and support integrated pest management, including Gambusia fish, to curb emergences.
A UCSB-led study found infrared radiation from human skin temperatures doubles female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes’ host-seeking when combined with CO2 and human odor, revealing a new heat-detection cue that helps mosquitoes locate humans up to ~70 cm away. The mechanism likely involves heat-activated neurons on the mosquitoes’ antennae rather than visible-light receptors, with implications for improved traps and understanding disease transmission as climate change expands mosquito ranges.
Los Angeles County’s vector-control district is expanding the sterile insect technique to curb Aedes aegypti mosquitoes linked to dengue, releasing sterilized males and seeking to broaden the program beyond Sunland-Tujunga. The expansion hinges on a new funding mechanism—a up to $20 per year per single-family home via a property benefit assessment on top of the existing $18.97—despite only 47% of ballots supporting the increase and opposition from some business owners. Pilot releases in two Sunland-Tujunga neighborhoods cut the female mosquito population by about 82%, but officials say broader adoption requires more funds and public buy-in; a second ballot round is planned while production continues in the insectary and field releases.
Researchers warn that the mosquito species Aedes aegypti has become 50 to 100 times more common in transmitting diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya due to its evolution and global spread, driven by climate change and urbanization, posing increased health risks worldwide.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, native to tropical regions and carriers of diseases like dengue and Zika, have been found thriving in Grand Junction, Colorado, due to warmer winters and climate change, raising concerns about potential disease outbreaks in the region.
Authorities in California are concerned about the spread of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit diseases like dengue and Zika, as it expands across multiple counties, driven by climate change and urbanization. Efforts include increased surveillance and community participation to control its spread, highlighting the need for environmental action to address broader ecological impacts.