There have been 18 confirmed cases of the #WestNileVirus in 2015; the first death by the virus was recently reported in #LosAngeles County. Here are precautions to take to protect yourself from #mosquitoes. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/17/west-nile-virus-death-la123/

There have been 18 confirmed cases of the West Nile Virus in 2015; the first death by the virus was recently reported in Los Angeles County.

The infected San Gabriel Valley man, whose name was withheld by the county Department of Public Health, had pre-existing health conditions, but was hospitalized in late August due to the virus.

First West Nile Virus Death Confirmed

Long Beach is also confirmed to have its first case of human West Nile virus infection; names and identifying details were also withheld. During 2014, 218 West Nile virus infections were reported in LA County, the second highest number since 2004. Of the 218 people infected, 180 were hospitalized and seven died.

Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, LA County’s interim health officer, declares that mosquitoes are the primary pathway for the West Nile virus to spread and infect humans; transmission has also noticeably increased. As such, he has advised the residents of LA County to take extra precaution to fight against mosquitoes.

Here Are Some Helpful Tips To Fight Against Mosquitoes:

Hot climates and drought conditions make for great mosquito breeding environments. Staying away from mosquito-rich areas is key in order to keep this virus, and other infections, at bay.

Moreover, getting rid of pools of stagnant water, and emptying out or washing any birdbaths and wading pools is highly recommended. Residents should also cover up as much as possible when outdoors and make use of insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Doors and windows that have tight-fitting screens should be utilized to keep out mosquitoes.

Protect Yourself; You May Not Present Symptoms

Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and mild skin rashes, but the virus can be contracted by a person and not display any symptoms. In fact, in 80% of the cases reported, the individual was never physically ill. Extra precaution, as such, should be exercised by the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, since the virus may lead to more serious diseases or inflections, such as brain inflammation and paralysis.

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First West Nile Virus Death Confirmed in LA

If you happen to be among the shrinking group of our planet’s inhabitants that do not want to do anything about #climatechange, you may have a new swarm of allies: #mosquitoes in the #arctic. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/17/climate-change-mosquitoes213/

If you happen to be among the shrinking group of our planet’s inhabitants that do not want to do anything about climate change, you may have a new swarm of allies: mosquitoes.

A study published recently in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences examined the effects of warmer temperatures on ecosystems in the Arctic, with particular attention to mosquito and caribou populations. The results show that mosquito numbers will likely increase alongside global temperatures. While that’s good news for mosquitoes and their predators, it bodes poorly for other species.

Temperatures Up, Mosquitoes Up

The team, led by postdoctoral researcher Lauren Culler from the Dickey Center’s Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth College, used both field and lab studies to develop models for evaluating the impact that rising temperatures in the Arctic will have on the development and death rates of mosquitoes in western Greenland. They then considered the relationship between mosquitoes, caribou, people and other species in the area’s ecosystem.

In the Arctic, mosquitoes appear in the spring when increasing temperatures begin to melt the frozen ground. The melting snow and ice form shallow ponds where mosquito eggs laid during the previous year can hatch. In warmer years, the melts occur earlier. Earlier melts mean that not only do the mosquitoes hatch ahead of schedule, but they also spend less time developing in the larval and pupal stages. The insects are particularly vulnerable to predation during those developmental stages. So, a shortened developmental period decreases their exposure to predators and ultimately increases their chances of survival.

Culler’s team determined a ten percent decrease in development time for every one degree (Celsius) increase in temperature. They estimate that if the temperature rises by two degrees Celsius, the mosquito population would experience a 53% increase in chances of survival.

Mosquitoes Up, Caribou Down?

An increase in the local mosquito populations isn’t all bad. Several species feed on or otherwise benefit from mosquitoes, such as birds, diving beetles, and pollinating plants.

But Arctic caribou, which are the primary targets of Arctic mosquitoes, would experience higher rates and risks of irritation, wounds, and disease transmission, among other negatives. As mosquito populations increase, caribou are more likely to migrate away from mosquito-heavy areas, which usually means moving away from nutrient-rich locations. The move will cost them energy, food, and ultimately numbers. And as many humans in the region depend on caribou for food and livelihood, surrounding communities might find themselves similarly suffering.

Beyond the Arctic

Although the Arctic has experienced warming at twice the global rate of temperature increase in the past 100 years, climate change is a global phenomenon that will disrupt all ecosystems, not just Greenland’s. Researchers like Cullen are working to determine what those disruptions will look like in order to prepare for them. But scientists agree that continued increases in temperature bode poorly for many species and especially for humans. The most important step is to curb the warming.

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Climate Change Is Good for Arctic Mosquitoes

Sweetgrass Chemicals That Keep Mosquitoes At Bay Revealed - http://clapway.com/2015/08/19/sweetgrass-chemicals-that-keep-mosquitoes-at-bay-revealed123/

Researchers have successfully identified the chemical reason for why sweetgrass keeps pesky bugs at bay. They plan to present their results this Thursday at the 250th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Sweetgrass has been used for years to ward off insects

Native to North America, sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) is a folk-remedy for biting insects, mainly mosquitoes. It gives off a sweet odor and acts as an insect-repellant at once. In addition to being bothersome, insect bites could cause serious, even life-threatening damage. Insects like mosquitoes act as vectors for diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Scientists have long believed that the components that give it the sweet smell could actually be the ones repelling insects.

Chemicals were extracted from sweetgrass using steam

Similar to a process used in making perfumes from flowers, researchers used a method called steam distillation to extract the chemicals in grass that give off the odor. This process involves passing steam though the plant material, and then cooling the temperature to help condense it into a liquid. The liquid then separates into water and oil; the oily fraction is retained as it contains the volatile ingredients of interest. The scientists then tested whether the sweetgrass oil actually worked. They filled a vial with a red colored substance that looks like blood to bait the mosquitoes. The vial was then covered with a thin membrane and laced with either the sweetgrass oil, other extracts of sweetgrass obtained without steam distillation, the gold standard of insect repellants called N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) or the solvent alcohol as the negative control. The mosquitoes could either take a bite at the membrane or not. They were then squished onto paper in order to see if they drew ‘blood.’ When counted, they found that the membrane laced with sweetgrass oil had the least bites, matching that of the gold standard.

Chemicals in sweetgrass identified

Upon finding that the sweetgrass oil repelled mosquitoes, scientists wanted to find out what chemicals exactly caused this effect. They separated the oil into 12 sub-fractions, and zeroed in on the components of three of the most effective. Using analytical techniques like Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS), they identified the active components to be coumarin and phytol. Coumarin is an ingredient found in insect-repellant and other skin products. Thanks to the study, we now know the scientific basis for this folk-remedy.

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Sweetgrass Chemicals That Keep Mosquitoes At Bay Revealed

West Nile Virus in the USA: Risks, Tactics and Research - http://clapway.com/2015/07/26/west-nile-virus-in-the-usa-risks-tactics-and-research347/

Six additional mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile Virus infection in Suffolk County. Their Health Services Commissioner Dr. James L. Tomarken announced this unnerving development on July 24th. That means the 2015 total for the country up to 13 positive samples. The mosquito samples are regularly gathered from well known mosquito breeding sites.

WEST NILE VIRUS IN NEW YORK

Alarmingly, the west nile virus has already been detected in several areas of New York. Seven state counties and three boroughs in New York City reported the presence of the west nile virus. Fortunately, as of July 23rd, no human infections with the virus have been reported yet the state of New York.

WEST NILE VIRUS IN THE SOUTH

However, Texas already announced that as of July 18th, 221 mosquito pools have tested positive for the west nile virus, including two birds and one horse. and one human incident of west nile fever and two more of west nile neurologic illness.

As of July 18th in Florida seven counties were found to house sentinel chickens carrying west nile. In all, 19 chickens tested positive, but horses and humans have so far been spared.

Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was made aware of 23 patients with illnesses related to the west nile virus. The most vicious form of the west nile virus, known as neuroinvasive disease, has been found in nine patients. Formerly, the CDS thought between 150 and 250 patients have either a clinical west nile virus illness or west nile fever for each case of neuroinvasive disease. If correct, this would put the total number of west nile virus cases in 2015 alone somewhere between 1,350 and 2,250.

DIFFERENT SPECIES, DIFFERENT ILLNESSES

Culex pipiens and a closely related Culex species are known to carry the west nile virus. By hard work, scientists are becoming better at predicting which specific conditions are most responsible for increases in the mosquito population and the increase in carried illnesses among such populations. A paper published in 2013 called “Predicting Culex pipens/restuans population dynamics by interval lagged weather data” explained some of the key factors: Culex pipiens carries “West Nile fever, St. Louis encephalitis, Japanese encephallitis, Western equine encephalitis, and Rift Valley fever.” It seems the length of day has a great effect on the mosquito concentration. The maximum population occurs roughly four weeks after the year’s longest day.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON MOSQUITOES

Female mosquitoes’ (the only kind that bite) activity is greatly effected by air temperature. It seems like quicker increases in temperature cause them to hasten their search for hosts to suck.

Rain affects mosquito activity in diverse ways, but is basically determined by the frequency and quantity of rain. If it’s too heavy, the baby mosquitoes are washed away from their breeding pools, which can cause activity to decrease momentarily. Light rain, which merely refreshes any standing water (e.g. sewer catch basins), or that fills a volume of stagnant water that will last for weeks, greatly increases the mosquito population.

NEW MOSQUITO ACTIVITY MODEL

By combining this data with data from other, less recent studies, we can begin to model the mosquito population using variables set to predict ahead of their own lag time, so that we can have a real time estimation of what’s going on with the mosquito population, and what is yet to come. This will help mosquito control tactics like fogging and larvacide become more effective and precise.

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West Nile Virus in the USA: Risks, Tactics and Research

Mosquitoes Track You With 3 Senses, Bite Without Guilt - http://clapway.com/2015/07/17/mosquitoes-track-you-with-3-senses-bite-without-guilt784/

We all work (or have worked) hard to afford a nice day on the beach, at the park, or just a day of ambiguous leisure. We sometimes work even harder to protect ourselves from the malheurs of pests, namely the winged sort we’ve named mosquitoes. But resistance may be futile, for a mosquito can sense heat, can smell humans, and can see you, too. That’s three senses working against you. No wonder they’re so persistent.

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE a MOSQUITOES’ MOTHERS’ SCORN

The most ravenous mosquito is the new mother, who seeks a blood meal to feed her younglings. Her favorite host is human. A wide variety of insects including mosquitoes can detect and are attracted to the smell of carbon dioxide (CO2) that we exhale. And that’s not all; mosquitoes can also use thermal sensory data to detect a suitable host of blood, and when all else fails, there’s always old-fashioned sight. But who would imagine themselves using each one of their senses in a sequence, especially when one’s own survival depends on putting them to work together?

DO PESTS INTEGRATE SENSES?

In order to discover precisely how mosquitoes balance such a barrage of senses, a recent study was performed. In the study, researchers set hungry, mated female mosquitoes free into a wind tunnel. This wind tunnel was jerry-rigged for scientists to control which sensory cues occurred.

Each experiment featured 20 mosquitoes, who were all inserted into the tunnel and filmed with 3D tracking software. When a plume of air heavy in CO2 concentration was released, the mosquitos followed it, just as the scientists predicted. A plume with normal background air did not seem to pique the mosquitoes’ interest.

TRANSPOSING HYPOTHESES FROM OTHER FINDINGS

Floris van Breugel, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Michael Dickinson, professor of bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology, found that animals (specifically, fruit flies), are more attracted to visual features, even when exposed to an attractive odor.

“This was a new finding for flies, and we suspected that mosquitoes would exhibit a similar behavior. That is, we predicted that when the mosquitoes were exposed to CO2, which is an indicator of a nearby host, they would also spend a lot of time hovering near high-contrast objects, such as a black object on a neutral background.”

ARE MOSQUITOES’ SENSES BIASED?

To test Dickinson’s idea, the scientists repeated the CO2 plume experiment, with a slight change in environment: they placed a dark object on the floor of the wind tunnel. The scientists discovered that even with heavy CO2 plumes, the pests were more attracted to the dark, high-contrast set piece. But, when there was no CO2, the same insects showed no interest in the darkness.

What this means is that the effect of mosquitoes’ olfactory systems is not dissimilar to our suffering. The mosquitoes smell CO2, begin their flight, and continue on well beyond the CO2 towards visual stimulation, which is more temporary, because they carry on the memory of CO2 with them. Mayhaps we should take a matador instead of bug spray for our next camping trip.

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Mosquitoes Track You With 3 Senses, Bite Without Guilt

West Nile Mosquitoes Found in New York and Texas - http://clapway.com/2015/07/01/west-nile-mosquitoes-found-in-new-york-and-texas875/

It’s Back

West Nile mosquitoes being found carrying diseases in nearby areas has almost become a tradition at this point. And like clockwork, we’ve found our first cases of the year. According to the Department of Health, the first mosquitoes found to be carrying the West Nile virus were spotted in New York, more specifically Staten Island and Queens. And of course, because where there’s smoke there’s fire, very quickly other areas came to realize they were dealing with the same problem. Parts of Texas have also announced that they are dealing with a similar case. Since it’s likely that more mosquitoes are on their way to different areas with the same virus, caution is encouraged.

Upper West Nile

Staten Island and Queens have seen West Nile mosquitoes of late, but thankfully there has yet to be a human case of West Nile. So far, the consensus seems to be that they are localized to two sites. One batch of infected mosquitoes was found in Glen Oaks, Queens while the other was found in New Dorp Beach, Staten Island. The Health Department intends to set up more traps and catch basins in the aforementioned infected areas. In the hopes of cutting off the West Nile mosquitoes issue at its source, they are also going to apply larvacide to catch basins, marshlands, and other areas that have standing water. In this way, the mosquito larvae will be killed before they can mature and run the risk of infecting others. Officials are giving their standard recommendations for West Nile mosquitoes: wear insect repellent, cover up, and do what you can to get rid of any standing water that mosquitoes could find.

Infecting The Woodlands

Not to be outdone, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed that mosquitoes tested in The Woodlands Township in Montgomery County have also tested positive. These new pests to the area are being blamed on a recent torrent of heavy rains. To do away with the West Nile mosquitoes, the TDSHS will be spraying larvacide on storm drains and streets. In a climate like that of Texas, it’s imperative to get rid of West Nile mosquitoes before they spread even more and do damage; Montgomery County had 32 human cases of West Nile last year. Texas is giving similar warning as New York regarding how to deal with these pests, urging people to do as much as they can to rid their areas of pools of water.

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West Nile Mosquitoes Found in New York and Texas