Mosquitoes Adapting to Cooler Climates

A Washington, DC neighborhood has become the latest victim of a huge population of major disease carrying mosquitoes. It’s been discovered that these deadly critters have adapted to the cooler climates in the north. Here’s an article with more information from the researchers of Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Researchers Find Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes in DC’s Backyard

The specific mosquito that was discovered, Aedes aegypti, is a major carrier of two arbovirus diseases, dengue and chikungunya, as well as the newly emerging Zika virus. This mosquito is typically restricted to tropical and subtropical regions of the world and not found farther north in the United States than Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The scary fact is that these bugs are adapting in our own back yards. They are surviving the cooler months and increasing in breeding activity. Notre Dame are also working hard on their research to fight the recent outbreak of the Zika virus.

We wanted to share with you this really useful article about Zika, that can help you learn more about the disease and what to do to protect yourself from mosquitoes and what to do if you believe you may have become infected.

About Zika Virus Disease Q & A

Zika is a disease caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.

Attention is drawn specifically to pregnant women and an emphasis on unnecessary travel to certain parts of the world. If you are unsure and due to take a trip, then the best thing to do is to seek medical and travel advice.