Children are forced to wear masks due to the toxic smoke from peat land fires in Indonesia. Aulia Erlangga / CIFOR
By Irene Banos Ruiz
Pediatricians in New Delhi, India, say children's lungs are no longer pink, but black.
Our warming planet is already impacting the health of the world's children and will shape the future of an entire generation if we fail to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (35.6°F), the 2019 Lancet Countdown Report on health and climate change shows.
<p>"Over the past 30 years, we've seen progressive decline in the numbers of deaths for all people and indeed for children," Anthony Costello, co-chair of The Lancet Countdown, told DW. "But what we're worrying about is that all of these gains could go into reverse if we don't urgently tackle the problem of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a>."</p><p>The research — compiled by 35 global institutions, including the World Health Organization and the World Bank —clearly shows the relationship between climate change, environmental destruction and health. Rising temperatures fuel hunger and malnutrition, an increase in the scale and scope of infectious disease and a growing frequency of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events, while <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> has become as deadly to the human lung as smoking tobacco.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA4MTI2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDAyMDA5Mn0.-N9v5vOWS6zo9i03Y-RGcmN4b_hy9zenzugIGnaChqc/img.jpg?width=980" id="8d83b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ce694406966ae72f390384cd66ded5b5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Under current emissions, children born today will live in a 4°C warmer world by the age of 71, the report says.
<h2>Difficult Access to Food</h2><p>A baby born today will be exposed to the impacts of climate change from the very start of its life.<br>Rising temperatures coupled with drought and flooding devastate crops, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/ipcc-report-the-world-gets-hungrier-but-the-land-is-exhausted-from-us-and-from-climate-change/a-49783271" target="_blank">causing global yields to decline.</a> This deprives people of their livelihoods and pushes up food prices, which in turn leads to hunger and malnutrition, particularly in countries heavily reliant on agriculture, such as Burkina Faso.<br></p><p>"Acute malnutrition in five-year-old children in Burkina Faso is over 10%," Maurice Ye, a native to the country and advisor to the National Malaria Control Program in Madagascar, told DW. "This will increase if nothing is done to address the problem."</p>
<p>In India, malnutrition is already the reason for two thirds of deaths in children under the age of five, the Lancet report states.</p><p>Although malnutrition is often linked to hunger, it can also be the result of eating too much unhealthy food. As staples such as grains and rice face price hikes, consumers are motivated to buy cheaper, processed foods instead.</p><p>"That feeds into the other end of the malnutrition spectrum, which is that of overweight and obesity," Poornima Prabhakaran, deputy director of the Centre for Environmental Health at the Public Health Foundation of India and contributing author of the report, told DW.</p>
<h2>A Deadly Breeding Ground</h2><p>Under-fives will also suffer most from the increase in infectious diseases. Rising temperatures, warming waters, changing rainfall patterns and high levels of humidity facilitate the spread of bacteria leading to diarrheal diseases such as cholera, and also create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes carrying malaria or dengue fever.</p><p>In 2017, there were an estimated 435,000 deaths from malaria globally and every two minutes a child somewhere in the world dies from the disease, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/275867/9789241565653-eng.pdf" target="_blank">according to the World Health Organization</a> (WHO).</p><p>This is of particular concern for countries such as Burkina Faso, where malaria caused over 28,000 deaths in 2018 alone, <a href="https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/country-profiles/profile_bfa_en.pdf?ua=1" target="_blank">the WHO estimates.</a></p><p>But climate change will also allow these disease-carrying <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/mosquitoes">mosquitoes</a> to reach new countries, such as those in southern Europe.</p><p>Around half of the world's population is now at risk from dengue disease, the Lancet report says.</p><p>If children survive malnutrition and infectious diseases, the research continues, they might not be spared devastating air pollution. This can corrupt their lung function, worsen asthma and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke.</p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/where-is-europes-air-safe-to-breathe/a-46189571" target="_blank">Outdoor air pollution</a> — from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — already contributes to 2.9 million premature deaths worldwide.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA4MTI3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjY2MTc1MH0.nP6j4qz9oDuOmejy-99eb521CqRuKBM9zMyK2eCwJBA/img.jpg?width=980" id="26652" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f6182c2fdec0d312b186be68a3f7ba46" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Extreme weather events are also becoming the new normal in European countries.
<h2>Heat and Cold Hit Hard</h2><p>The health of a child born today could equally be damaged by extreme weather events such as <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires">wildfires</a> and heat waves.</p><p>152 out of 196 countries have experienced an increase in people exposed to wildfires since 2001, which has resulted in direct deaths and respiratory illness. Record-breaking high temperatures, in turn, are of particular concern for elderly people over 65-years-old.</p><p>"Heat health impacts include heat exhaustion, heat stroke and aggravation of already existing morbidities from cardiovascular illness and respiratory illness," Prabhakaran said.</p><p>Heat can also lead to dehydratation in children and the elderly, experts say.</p><p>Although the world is warming, cold also represents a risk for people with little or no access to energy. "It kills more people than the heat overall," Costello said. "But a lot of that is due to social factors." </p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-change-reinforces-inequalities-even-in-developed-countries/a-50596957" target="_blank">As inequalities are growing worldwide,</a> more people find themselves in situations of vulnerability, he said.</p>
<h2>An Urgent Coal Phase-Out</h2><p>Prabhakaran hopes health impacts will be the turning point for reluctant policy makers.</p><p>"What we need to do is bring health in the center of discourse, the health impacts of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> combustion can be a strong argument for phasing out coal," she said.</p><p>The three experts agree that the first step to reducing the suffering of every child born today is a shift to a decarbonized world. It is technically feasible, they say, but will take tougher policies and genuine political will. Inaction is no longer an option.</p><p>"It's set to get much, much worse unless we take immediate action," Costello said.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-change-has-become-a-health-emergency/a-51209280" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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'We Now Have a New Exotic Disease in Europe': Native Zika Virus Spreads Due to Climate Change
08 November 2019
Health + Wellness
A blood-engorged female Aedes albopictus mosquito feeds on a human host. CDC Global / CC BY 2.0
The first three cases of Zika that started in southern France have been confirmed and experts are sounding the alarm that the climate crisis may cause more cases to spread across the continent, as CNN reported.
<p>The European Centers for Disease Control reported that all three cases were in Hyères, a French Riviera town. In all three cases the infected person had no travel history to countries where Zika is endemic, according to <a href="https://www.zikanews.com/hy%C3%A8res-city-france-reports-third-zika-virus-case-2019-no-travel-history-zika-endemic-countries" target="_blank">Zika News</a>.</p><p>This is the first time that local tiger <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/mosquitoes" target="_self">mosquitoes</a> have developed and spread the virus, which stands in stark contrast to the nearly 2,400 cases that Europe has seen since 2015 when an outbreak spread in South America, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported.</p><p>All three patients got sick within a short time of each other, which suggests they were all part of the same transmission cycle. Since they have all recovered, the European Centers for Disease Control says the risk to travelers and residents is low, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>The Earth's warming climate coupled with an increase in travel between continents means tropical diseases are likely to spread and thrive in areas where they would have once been unthinkable. The planet just experienced its hottest October on record and four out of the past five months have set new average temperature records, which creates a trend that tropical viruses and bacteria will find hospitable.</p><p>Experts warn that Zika and other tropical diseases are likely to flourish in Europe, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. This is "the first time that locally acquired Zika cases were identified, which poses new challenges for the control of these diseases," Moritz Kraemer, a researcher into infectious diseases at the University of Oxford, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>Kraemer added that native Zika is particularly surprising because the type of mosquito that carries it in South America isn't usually found in Europe. That means the virus has moved to the Asian tiger mosquito, which is now commonly found in southern Europe, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>The Asian tiger mosquito "has become common in parts of southern France, where it has probably also been responsible for transmission of dengue. It has also been detected widely throughout southern Europe and sporadically further north," said Anna Checkley, consultant in Tropical Medicine at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>. "Warmer temperatures favor its survival, and as we go into winter it is much less likely that we will see further new cases. (But) if global temperatures increase, this mosquito may spread further north in Europe and we may see small clusters of cases further north."</p><p>"It's one thing for travelers to come back to a country with a disease, that happens all the time," said professor James Logan, head of the department of disease control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/europes-first-ever-native-zika-cases-should-wake-up-call-continent/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a>. "It's another thing completely when a disease is transmitted locally as it demonstrates capacity. We now have a new exotic disease in Europe. In many ways this is a bit of a wake up call for the continent."</p><p>Logan added that the three confirmed cases suggest the disease is more widespread than we know, since most people who catch Zika do not show any symptoms. Others may have suffered headaches, nausea or a mild fever but not realized that they had the Zika virus, as <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/europes-first-ever-native-zika-cases-should-wake-up-call-continent/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported.</p><p>The primary concern with Zika is that it causes birth defects when a pregnant woman is infected. It can lead to microcephaly, a neurological disorder that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, which causes severe developmental issues and sometimes death. Zika can also cause other problems for babies, including eye problems and hearing loss, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/health/zika-europe-cases-scn-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p>
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GMO Mosquitoes to Control the Spread of Disease Carries Unknown Risks
04 October 2019
Insights + Opinion
Biologist releases GMO mosquitoes in Piracicaba, Brazil on Feb. 11, 2016. Victor Moriyama / Getty Images
By Natalie Kofler, Françoise Baylis, Graham Dellaire, Landon J Getz
Every year, around one million people die of mosquito-borne diseases according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is why mosquitoes are considered one of the deadliest living creatures on the planet — not because they are lethal themselves, but because many of the viruses and parasites they transmit are.
<p>Consider, for example, dengue fever. This mosquito-borne virus is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children and adults in several countries in Asia and Latin America. In 2016, member states in three of the six WHO regions <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue" target="_blank">reported 3.34 million cases</a>.</p><p>In the absence of an effective vaccine for dengue fever, Zika fever, chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases, researchers have developed genetic strategies to reduce mosquito populations. One such strategy involves the release into the wild of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes that express a lethal gene — a strategy believed to have little impact on the overall DNA of wild populations of mosquitoes.</p><p>As an interdisciplinary group of authors, we generally support technologies that can reduce human disease and suffering. However, given our combined expertise in science, governance and ethics we have concerns that recent decisions to deploy GM mosquitoes have not been made responsibly.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/genetically-modifying-mosquitoes-to-control-the-spread-of-disease-carries-unknown-risks-123862" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
<p>The transfer of new genes from GM organisms to wild or domesticated non-GM populations is a key criticism of GM crops like soybean and corn. There are concerns that the introduction of GM genes into non-target species could have <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732/" target="_blank">negative consequences for both human and environmental health</a>.</p><p>Oxitec, a company that spun out of research at Oxford University in the early 2000s, developed and trademarked GM <a href="https://www.oxitec.com/our-technology" target="_blank">Friendly™ mosquitoes</a> (also known as strain OX513A of <em>Aedes aegypti</em>). These male GM mosquitoes have what the company describes as a "self-limiting" gene, which means that when these so-called friendly mosquitoes mate, their offspring inherit the self-limiting gene which is supposed to prevent them surviving into adulthood.</p><p>In theory, when these mosquitoes are released in high numbers, a dramatic reduction in the mosquito population should follow.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8d418a7c3cf175000fe60ea35aab2cb5"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dRGPsx3tAw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>Changes to the Gene Pool
<p>According to research published by Oxitec researchers in 2015, field trials involving recurring releases of Friendly™ mosquitoes demonstrated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003864" target="_blank">a reduction of nearly 95 percent of target populations in Brazil</a>. In these field trials, experiments were not performed to assess whether GM mosquitoes might persist in the wild.</p><p>A recent study from the Powell lab at Yale University has since confirmed that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49660-6" target="_blank">some of the offspring of the GM mosquitoes didn't succumb to the self-limiting lethal gene and survived to adulthood</a>. They were able to breed with native mosquitoes and thereby introduce some of their genes into the wild population.</p><p>The Yale researchers found that mosquitoes captured at six, 12 and up to 30 months post-release carried DNA from the GM mosquito population, thereby disproving "<a href="https://news.yale.edu/2019/09/10/transgenic-mosquitoes-pass-genes-native-species" target="_blank">the claim that genes from the release strain would not get into the general population because offspring would die</a>."</p><p>It appears that between five and 60 percent of the captured mosquitoes post-release contained genetic sequences inherited from the Friendly™ mosquitoes. Importantly, the number of mosquitoes identified as still containing DNA derived from GM mosquitoes declined between the 12-month and 27-month capture periods specifically, perhaps indicating that the offspring of GM mosquitoes might be less fit in nature after all. This remains to be shown conclusively.</p>Unknown Potential Impacts
<p><span>Meanwhile, the impact of mosquitoes carrying these new genes remains largely unknown. One significant worry is that a new breed of mosquito might emerge that is more difficult to control. These new genes could also potentially alter evolutionary pressures on viruses carried by mosquitoes, like dengue fever, in unpredictable ways. This includes potentially increasing their virulence or changing their host-insect interactions. These are hypothetical risks that have been raised by scientists, and reflect the need for further study.</span><br></p><p>Thus, like GM soybean or corn, there is legitimate concern about the propagation of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2011/369573" target="_blank">new genetic material</a> in wild populations with as yet unknown consequences.</p><p>Field trials involving the release of GM organisms are typically designed to evaluate safety and efficacy, to assess possible impact on food networks, and to ensure that there is no (or minimal) undue harm to the environment or human health. Put simply, field trials are meant to assess potential harms associated with genetic technologies and to provide opportunities to minimize these harms before moving forward with more large-scale releases.</p><p>This raises two important questions: Given that <a href="https://time.com/the-war-against-mosquito/" target="_blank">"around 5 percent or less"</a> of the GM mosquito population was expected to survive, shouldn't Oxitec have made plans to assess the risk of gene transfer to wild populations during their initial trials? And shouldn't the Brazilian government have required such an assessment as part of the regulatory approval process, <a href="https://bch.cbd.int/database/record.shtml?documentid=105833" target="_blank">given their awareness of the risk</a>?</p><p>Instead, with approval from Brazilian authorities, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12618" target="_blank">Oxitec released nearly half a million GM mosquitoes every week into shared environments in Jacobina over a two-year period from 2013 to 2015</a>. This was done without the benefit of adequate risk assessment and without proper public consultation.</p><p>Oxitec reports having used leaflets, social media, carnival parades and community meetings to inform the public of their research. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2017.1326257" target="_blank">Public education is not the same as public consultation and engagement</a> and, in our view, the people living in the vicinity of this release had more than a right to be informed of the plans. They also had a <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6414/527.summary" target="_blank">right to participate</a> in relevant decision-making.</p><p>On the basis of presumed success in Brazil where mosquito populations were reduced — a consequential <a href="https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/8/16-020816.pdf" target="_blank">reduction in the prevalence of dengue fever</a> has yet to be demonstrated — plans have been made to extend field trials to other jurisdictions, including <a href="https://www.oxitec.com/florida" target="_blank">the Florida Keys in the U.S</a>.</p><p>To date, public pushback <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3927" target="_blank">has temporarily prevented</a> the release of GM mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. But Oxitec hopes to eventually secure approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to perform field trials and assess release of a <a href="https://keysweekly.com/42/oxitec-reveals-new-technology-up-for-epa-consideration/" target="_blank">second-generation GM mosquito</a> that causes lethality only in female mosquitoes, as another means to collapse wild populations.</p>Regulating Genetic Modification
<p>In the end, minus the <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/study-dna-spread-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-prompts-backlash" target="_blank">hyperbole and somewhat alarmist reporting of the Yale study</a> (the journal is looking into <a href="https://www.genomeweb.com/scan/pushback-mosquito-paper#.XZJv0S2ZNTZ" target="_blank">allegations brought forth by Oxitec of speculative and unsubstantiated claims</a>), the finding that offspring of GM mosquitoes could survive in the wild remains undisputed. This illustrates the importance of careful decision-making and adequate oversight of field trials involving the release of GM organisms. Careful decision-making requires open venues for informed and deliberative public dialogue, engagement and empowerment.<br></p><p>Genetic modification technologies need to be more transparent, as do the scientific processes for evaluating their risks, especially where the rights and needs of affected communities can inform technology development. With more robust and nuanced regulatory processes governing the development and release of GM organisms, it should be possible to benefit from these technologies without harming or disenfranchising the communities that are the intended beneficiaries.</p><p>Mosquito-borne illnesses cause immense human suffering, and we should continue to develop technologies to reduce that suffering. At the same time, we must be equally dedicated to designing scientific processes that are safe, ethical and just.</p>From Your Site Articles
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By Marlene Cimons
For nearly a century, scientists thought that malaria could only spread in places where it is really hot. That's because malaria is spread by a tiny parasite that infects mosquitoes, which then infect humans — and this parasite loves warm weather. In warmer climates, the parasite grows quickly inside the mosquito's body. But in cooler climates, the parasite develops so slowly that the mosquito will die before the it is fully grown.
<p>At least that was the prevailing understanding. New <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0275?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">research</a> suggests parasites don't mind the cold as much as scientists thought.</p><p>It appears that parasites can thrive in slightly cooler temperatures that were once believed to be inhospitable for them. This means that slightly warmer weather in more temperate regions could prompt parasites to reach their full potential—a situation that will put thousands or more people in danger of contracting malaria. Not only will rising temperatures spur <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/rising-temperatures-will-help-mosquitos-infect-a-billion-more-people-1d4e3e456b15?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">mosquitoes</a> to move to new areas that were formally too cold to inhabit, hotter weather will also nurture the growth of the disease-carrying parasites that live inside those mosquitos.</p><p>"Our results show that not only is it possible for the mosquito to become infectious with malaria parasites at cool temperatures, but that it happens considerably faster than has been previously thought," said Jessica Waite, a senior scientist at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">Penn State</a> and a co-author of the study with Matthew Thomas, professor and Huck scholar in ecological entomology at Penn State. Their findings could help predict the spread of malaria in cooler climates. The paper, which also included researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">University of Exeter</a>, appears in the journal Biology Letters.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTkzNzQ2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzYxNjc1MH0.I_yM5IRKDvoUQ4ilDJ-_p4gvuD84RE5nyiddqOsPq6Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="c1b86" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c8ce042e2dae749820d9bec7c3fafd78" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Aedes albopictus, also known as a tiger mosquito.
Pexels
<p>Malaria is a life-threatening illness caused by <em>Plasmodium</em> parasites that are carried by the female <em>Anopheles</em> mosquito, and passed on to humans through her bite. More than 400,000 people died of the disease in 2017, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the largest brunt of malaria cases — more than 90 percent — according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a>. It is also a problem in parts of South America and South Asia, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/malaria_worldwide/impact.html?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC).</p><p>Malaria was eradicated from the United States in 1951, largely due to effective control measures, such as spraying and air conditioning. Today, only around five people a year die of malaria in the United States. Most of those infected with malaria contracted the disease while traveling, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/resources/pdf/fsp/cdc_malaria_domestic_unit.pdf?source=post_page---------------------------" target="_blank">CDC</a>. "It is unlikely that developed countries with active detection and prevention programs, such as ours, would ever become areas of active malaria transmission again," Waite said.</p><p>The disease typically begins with fever, chills and headache, but can lead to death if untreated. "I'm not a medical doctor, but anecdotally I've heard it makes people feel pretty miserable — like a bad flu with cyclic fevers," Waite said. It is particularly dangerous for small children and "can lead to coma and death for severe infections," she said.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTkzNzQ3My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODU0NTk0OH0.ymSeWUflFo4BaBl01XpvX9gnhbQmuPQhMFvF33ESsM4/img.png?width=980" id="ad230" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4744d953201a56ca9c94924eb6f8221f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Cases of malaria by country in 2017.
<p>The researchers wanted to know how long it took for mosquitoes to become infectious, believing that older studies were flawed, including some that relied on a Russian species of mosquito."We wanted to get some good data to improve models," Waite said. This is especially important, she said, in places wear mosquitos might thrive if it were only a little warmer.</p><p>For example, "imagine a mountain, and at the peak of the mountain, it's too cold for mosquitoes to live or for parasites to complete their transmission cycle," she said. "However, at the base of the mountain there is a lot of malaria and mosquitoes." Many people live between the base and the peak and could become vulnerable to malaria if it becomes just a little bit warmer in those areas, she said.</p><p>In conducting their study, scientists infected mosquitoes in the lab with human malaria parasites. They did this by feeding them blood containing the parasite. The blood was held in place by a layer of waxy, stretchy film. "The mosquitoes pierce through this material like they would for human skin and take up a blood meal with the parasites," she said, explaining the experiments.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTkzNzQ3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Njk4OTMwMX0.4Cr3uBmyoERdVQjVlVBToL823xsDDLo0Hj28ja40QBY/img.jpg?width=980" id="6afa6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aa495acfc60b5a299ea83e7d74620883" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/new-research-shows-malaria-can-spread-in-cooler-climates-290f3d377459" target="_blank">Nexus Media</a>.</em><em></em></p>A mosquito feeding.
Pixabay
<p>After the mosquitoes finished dining, the scientists placed them into different incubators, some warm, some cold. They exposed some mosquitoes to fluctuating temperatures — as in nature, where it's cool at night and warm at midday — and others to constant temperatures. They then dissected them and examined their guts and salivary glands, looking for malaria parasites.</p><p>Open an infected mosquito and you will find bags filled with replicating parasites. When these bags burst, the parasites will spill out and find their way to the mosquito's salivary glands. Infected mosquitoes then pass on these parasites to humans when they draw blood. It takes time for the parasites to grow and then make their way to the salivary glands — but not as much time as was previously thought.</p><p>"So, for example, at [64 degrees Fahrenheit] the [earlier] model would predict mosquitoes become infectious at around 56 days, but we found at constant temperatures infectious mosquitoes were found as early as 33 days," Waite said. "With fluctuating temperatures — similar to real world conditions — this was as fast as 27 days. This makes a big difference because mosquitoes don't live forever."</p><p>Thus, if climate change continues to cause cooler regions to get warmer — even just a little bit — mosquitoes will get a jump start toward becoming fully infectious before they die. Waite is counting on that not happening. "I'm hopeful our work will lead to better estimates of malaria spread, and better prevention strategies," she said.</p>
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Kerkez / iStock / Getty Images
By Nicole Ferox
It's that time of year: Mosquitoes and ticks are out in full force, and so are all the latest bug repellent products claiming to keep them at bay. So what bug repellent ingredients do Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists recommend for kids? Our top picks are DEET, Picaridin and IR3535. These ingredients have low safety concerns and offer a high level of protection from a variety of biting insects and ticks.
<p>But check the bottle's active ingredients for concentration percentages. The product should contain a maximum of 10 percent DEET, 20 percent Picaridin or 20 percent IR3535 for children.</p><p>One exception: If you're using DEET to protect kids in an area known for ticks' carrying Lyme disease bacteria or for Zika outbreaks, a concentration of 20 percent to 30 percent may be appropriate. (See our <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents/kids" target="_blank">Guide to Bug Repellents</a> for details and links to the Centers for Disease Control's list of insect-borne outbreaks, below.)</p><p>Contrary to popular belief, bug repellents with higher concentrations — such as old-school 100 percent DEET — are not necessarily more effective and may even be harmful. To avoid that risk, we recommend steering clear of DEET products with concentrations more than 30 percent. The concentration determines the protection time. If there's no risk of bug-borne disease in your area, choose a spray with a lower concentration and reapply if necessary.</p>
Can I really use DEET? I thought it was dangerous.
<p>Yes, DEET is a reasonable choice when used as directed, even for children. Still, after reviewing the evidence, EWG researchers concluded that it is best to use the lowest effective concentration of DEET, even though it's effective and generally safer than is commonly assumed.</p><p>Picaridin is a great alternative to DEET. It effectively repels both mosquitoes and ticks and, compared to other repellents, is less likely to irritate eyes and skin.</p><p>EWG research indicates that, in general, "natural" bug repellent ingredients like castor, cedar, citronella, clove, geraniol, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and/or soybean oils are often not the best choice.</p>How do I know if there’s a risk of insect-borne disease in my area?
<p>Ask your pediatrician or check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maps listed below. If you're traveling internationally, check the CDC website for information about the <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/world-map-areas-with-zika" target="_blank">Zika virus</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsmaps/index.html" target="_blank">U.S. Map of Reported Cases of West Nile Virus</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps.html" target="_blank">U.S. Map of Reported Cases of Lyme Disease</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/geographic_distribution.html" target="_blank">U.S. Maps of Ticks Carrying Lyme Disease</a></li></ul>More Information
<p><a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents" target="_blank">EWG's Guide to Bug Repellents</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/22197/ask-ewg-what-s-best-bug-spray-buy-my-kids" target="_blank">Ask EWG: What's the Best Bug Spray to Buy for my Kids?</a></p><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html" target="_blank">CDC: Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites</a></p>From Your Site Articles
- How to Choose the Best Sunscreen for Your Kids - EcoWatch ›
- Nitrates in Tap Water: What Parents Need to Know - EcoWatch ›
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Climate Crisis Could Spread Dengue Fever Through Most of Southeast U.S.
11 June 2019
Health + Wellness
An Ae. aegypti mosquito, one of the primary vectors for the transmission of dengue fever around the world. James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control
If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise until 2080, dengue fever could spread through much of the southeastern U.S. by 2050.
<p>That's one of the findings in a study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-019-0476-8" target="_blank">published in Nature Microbiology</a> Monday on the potential spread of the mosquito-borne disease, which currently kills around 10,000 people per year and sickens 100 million. The study also predicted the disease would expand to higher altitudes in central Mexico, to northern Argentina, to inland Australia, to large coastal cities in eastern China and Japan, to southern Africa and to the West African Sahel.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New from Messina et al.: Modelling the current & potential future spread and risk of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dengue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dengue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/virus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#virus</a> infection: <a href="https://t.co/gofFYFz367">https://t.co/gofFYFz367</a> <a href="https://t.co/wb8nc8kz8X">pic.twitter.com/wb8nc8kz8X</a></p>— Nature Microbiology (@NatureMicrobiol) <a href="https://twitter.com/NatureMicrobiol/status/1138117494609240065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>The study incorporated data on mosquito behavior, urbanization and different <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> scenarios to predict how dengue fever would spread in 2020, 2050 and 2080, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/10/climate/dengue-mosquito-spread-map.html" target="_blank">The New York Times explained</a>. In the most extreme climate scenario, emissions continue to rise. In another, emissions rise through 2080 and stabilize by 2100 and, in the third, they peak in 2040. In all scenarios the spread of dengue increased, but it decreased slightly between 2050 and 2080 in the lowest-emission scenario.</p><p>"This suggests that curbs in emissions and more sustainable socioeconomic growth targets offer hope of limiting the future impact of dengue," the researchers wrote.</p><p>The study was unique from previous research in that it did not only focus on how climate change would impact the spread of dengue. It also focused on urbanization. That is because dengue is a disease that thrives and spreads in cities.</p><p>"When people hear mosquito-borne disease they think about forest areas. But dengue is very much the disease of the 21st century – it happens in big cities. In big cities you have lots of people moving around very quickly," lead study author and assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Oliver Brady told <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/urbanisation-will-make-break-bone-fever-one-common-infectious/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a>.</p><p>The study found that 2.25 billion more people would be at risk from dengue by 2080, or 60 percent of the world's population. But most of that increased risk would be driven by population growth in areas where the disease is already endemic, not by an expansion in its geographic range.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Out today! -predicting future dengue in a changing world. In short- Spread to Europe and USA more limited than previously predicted, already endemic areas will see the biggest growth in population at risk as they continue to rapidly urbanise <a href="https://t.co/v3AZcRdaNY">https://t.co/v3AZcRdaNY</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tn12fUNsI6">pic.twitter.com/Tn12fUNsI6</a></p>— Dr. Oliver Brady (@OliverBrady1) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliverBrady1/status/1138149155266842626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Much of its future expansion will therefore be in places that have the fewest resources to address it, such as sub-Saharan Africa, which is urbanizing quickly, Brady wrote in a <a href="https://naturemicrobiologycommunity.nature.com/users/264216-oliver-brady/posts/49742-the-spread-of-dengue-in-a-changing-world" target="_blank">"Behind the Paper" note on the article</a>.</p><p>"Our hope is that future research on dengue and climate change can expand to include mitigation strategies for those in endemic areas, in addition to assessing the risk of spread to western nations," Brady wrote.</p><p>Dengue fever is transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes that also carry Zika and chikungunya. It is also called breakbone fever, and symptoms can include fever, joint pain and internal bleeding, according to The New York Times.</p><p>"For a healthy individual dengue is an awful experience that you never forget," Eastern Connecticut University associate professor Josh Idjadi, who caught the disease in French Polynesia, told The New York Times. "For infants and elderly and the infirm, they're the ones that are going to be at risk."</p><p>There is a vaccine, but it does not work for the majority of people.</p><p>'Taking action now by investing in trials of novel vaccines and mosquito control, curbing carbon emissions and planning for sustainable population growth and urbanization are crucial steps for reducing the impact of the virus," study author and University of Washington Health Metrics Sciences Professor Simon I. Hay recommended to The Telegraph.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rising Temperatures Will Help <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mosquitos?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mosquitos</a> Infect a Billion More People <a href="https://t.co/Gdbo7DiaHN">https://t.co/Gdbo7DiaHN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClimateNexus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateGroup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClimateGroup</a></p>— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/1112791797850357765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Cassie Rulene Vadovsky / Facebook / Screenshot
Flooding from Hurricane Florence has activated dormant "gallnipper" (Psorophora ciliata) eggs, among others, leading to the hatching of billions of unusually large mosquitoes.
<p>Gallnippers lay their eggs in moist, low-elevation areas, where heavy rains or flooding trigger eventual hatching. In less than a week, larvae grow to adult size, which is about three times that of normal mosquitoes. The insects are so big that they've been <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=0948a974ba&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">mistaken for wasps</a> and jokingly called the <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=133f610dd7&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">new state bird</a>. </p><p>According to entomology Prof. <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=096b158e58&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">Michael Reiskind</a> of North Carolina State University, disease transmission isn't a leading concern with gallnippers and other post-Florence mosquito species. Nevertheless, the outbreak is a public health issue as it drives people to stay indoors and slows the storm recovery process. Last Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper directed <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=e363dc5230&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">$4 million</a> toward mosquito control efforts in 27 counties.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="28c4c60c7375282e16b265c9180b89c7"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/cassielakeport/videos/10205436106939226/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive: </strong><br></p><p><a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=a2ee210c4e&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">CBS</a>, <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=1547aa4a3e&e=992ed4d5cc" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2018-09-30/after-florence-communities-work-to-keep-mosquitoes-at-bay" target="_blank">AP</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Giannis Giannakopoulos / YouTube
Arachnophobes beware. A shoreline by the Greek town of Aitoliko has been swamped by a mass of mating spiders and 1,000 feet of their cobwebs.
Earlier this week, a local named Giannis Giannakopoulos uploaded a YouTube video and posted several pictures of the spectacle on his Facebook page, showing shrubs, palm fronds and other greenery completely veiled by spider webs.
<p>
The webs were likely made by spiders of the Tetragnatha genus, which are sometimes called "stretch spiders" for their elongated bodies.
</p><p style="">
These insects tend to live by water and are excellent web builders, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/63628-massive-spider-web-greece.html" target="_blank">LiveScience</a> reported, noting that their webs are used for nesting and to capture prey such as mosquitoes.
</p><p>
How did all those webs get there? Turns out, a bout of hot, humid weather as well as an increase in the mosquito population this year created favorable conditions for the spiders to reproduce and for their population to explode, an expert explained.
</p><p style="">
<span></span>"The spiders are taking advantage of these conditions, and are having a kind of a party. They mate, they reproduce and provide a whole new generation," Maria Chatzaki, professor of molecular biology and genetics at Democritus University of Thrace, told the local publication <a href="https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/ayti-einai-i-eksigisi-gia-to-fainomeno-me-tis-araxnes-sto-aitoliko/2618523/" target="_blank">Newsit</a> (translated from Greek).
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
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</p><p>
Chatzaki noted that massive cobwebs have been seen before in 2003.
</p><p>
<span></span>"The phenomenon we observed in Aitoliko is not unprecedented," she said. "It is a seasonal phenomenon that occurs mainly at the end of the summer and early autumn."
</p><p>
<span></span>The spiders do not harm humans and will not cause any damage to the environment. Eventually, the bugs will die off and their web will naturally degrade.
</p><p>
<span></span>"The spiders will have their party and will soon die," she said.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5b0344186e4cfeae814c83fcd738555d"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1968375889875995&set=a.1968335733213344&type=3&theater"></div></div>
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Mosquito larvae can mistake tiny bits of plastic for food. fuentedelateja / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Microplastics, which get gobbled up by whales, deep-sea fish and plankton, have also turned up in the bodies of mosquitoes, scientists have revealed.
The research, published Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters, is the first to show that bits of plastic can be transferred between a mosquito's life stages that use different habitats.
<p>
For the study, the scientists fed the larvae of
<em>Culex pipiens</em>—the common house mosquito—different-sized fluorescent polystyrene beads. The researchers found that the tiny fragments stayed in the larvae's bodies as they matured into flying adults.
</p><p>
Beads that were smaller than 2 micrometers in size transferred "readily" into pupae and adult stages, while larger beads that were 15 micrometers in size transferred at a "significantly reduced" rate, the paper states.
</p><p>
"Larvae are filter feeders that waft little combs towards their mouths, so they can't actually distinguish between a bit of plastic and a bit of food," lead researcher Amanda Callaghan of the University of Reading told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/19/microplastics-can-spread-via-flying-insects-research-shows" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "They eat algae, which are more or less the same size as these microplastics."
</p><p>
The study suggests that plastics could enter the larger food chain if birds, bats or other creatures eat the mosquitoes.
</p><p>
"The implication is that you can have plastics at the bottom of the pond that are now going up into the air and being eaten by spiders and bats and animals that normally wouldn't have access to that plastic," Callaghan told
<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/mosquitoes-plastic-pollution-microplastics-birds-bats-swallows-a8543151.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>.
</p><p>
<span></span>"You could have a dragonfly, for example, eating mosquitoes as they are emerging—so it could be eating lots of mosquitoes with plastic in them, and then a bird could be eating that and getting an even bigger dose."
</p><p>
The researchers are now studying if consuming plastics harms the mosquitoes, The Guardian reported.
</p><p>
"It is a shocking reality that plastic is contaminating almost every corner of the environment and its ecosystems," Callaghan added. "Much recent attention has been given to the plastics polluting our oceans, but this research reveals it is also in our skies."</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="fb3ef" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="XUZPCV1576662696"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="986897220275490816" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Plastics: The History of an Ecological Crisis https://t.co/GSzv0Z9g3X @wwwfoecouk @GreenpeaceUK</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/986897220275490816">1524129607.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Mosquito ‘Danger Days’ Rising: Protect Your Family With EWG’s Bug Repellent Guide
08 September 2018
Health + Wellness
Pexels
By Carla Burns
Experts predict mosquito and tick bites and subsequent infections will continue to rise as warmer climates expand insect habitats and populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that pest-borne diseases are "a large and growing public health problem in the United States." Cases of diseases from mosquito, tick and flea bites more than tripled in the U.S. from 2004 to 2016.
<p>According to <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/us-faces-a-rise-in-mosquito-disease-danger-days-21903" target="_blank">a new report</a> by the nonprofit research group Climate Central, there is an increased risk of transmission of mosquito-borne diseases across many American cities. The report highlights that changing temperatures have resulted in an increase in the number of so-called mosquito disease danger days across more than 90 percent of the cities analyzed. Danger days have temperatures averaging between 61 and 93 degrees, the range required for mosquito-borne disease transmission.</p><p>Climate Central analyzed nearly 50 years of temperature data for 244 cities. Reno, Nevada, topped the list, with an increase of 52 mosquito disease danger days since 1970. San Francisco was second, with an increase of 47 danger days. The full list of cities is <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/us-faces-a-rise-in-mosquito-disease-danger-days-21903?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=News%20%20Mosquitoes&utm_content=News%20%20Mosquitoes+CID_7dc74a27c8caa5ae6d5a5f4b64f5fd79&utm_source=Climate%20Central%20Email%20Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20the%20story?ftag=MSF0951a18" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p>As mosquito disease danger days continue to rise, it's important to protect yourself. The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) recently updated <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents#.W3Q6F5NKhTY" target="_blank">Guide to Bug Repellents</a> can help you find the right product to protect yourself and your family.</p><p>No repellent works every place against every pest, so you should research the diseases that insects and ticks carry where you plan to spend time outside. The most effective repellent option for a hike in the woods with ticks may be different than the best repellent for a day at a beach with mosquitos.</p><p>Always choose an EPA-registered repellent at the concentration rated for the amount of time you'll be outdoors. You can find our recommended concentrations and timespans on the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents/ewg-repellent-guide#.W3RASZNKhBw" target="_blank">Top Repellent Choices</a> page of our guide.</p><p>Whether you are in your backyard or on vacation, here are quick tips for avoiding bug bites:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Wear pants, socks, and shirts to reduce amount of exposed skin. Tuck pants in socks to protect the ankles.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Use repellent products in lotion, pump or towelette form.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Use nets, screens, and/or fans over outdoor eating areas, and place nets over strollers and baby carriers.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Don't use treated wristbands, repellent candles or clip-on repellent fans—they are not as effective at protecting you from bug bites.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Don't use more than 30 percent DEET on anyone.</li></ul><p>To learn more about our advice for avoiding bug bites, visit <a href="https://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips#.W4bKOC2ZPBL" target="_blank">EWG's Healthy Living Tips</a>. </p>
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John Tann / CC BY 2.0
The number of days each year when mosquito-borne illnesses are more likely to spread is rising as average temperatures soar across the U.S., according to a new analysis.
Climate Central examined 244 cities across the country for its analysis, finding that 94 percent are experiencing more "disease danger days"—days with temperatures between 61 degrees and 93 degrees F, optimal conditions for transmission of diseases like West Nile and other vector-borne diseases—than they were in 1970.
<p>Climate Central and the El Paso Times examined the impact of rising temperatures in El Paso, which saw one of the largest rises in disease danger days and has grappled with more than 100 cases of West Nile since 2000. Fourteen cases were diagnosed last year alone, the El Paso Times reports, and health officials just confirmed this summer's first case last week.</p><p>As reported by the <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/health/2018/08/08/first-case-west-nile-confirmed-el-paso/938492002/" target="_blank">El Paso Times</a>:</p><blockquote>Department of Public Health Lead Epidemiologist Fernando Gonzalez said the mosquito season started later than usual this year.</blockquote><blockquote>"We know we have mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus around El Paso and need to make sure we stay vigilant about protecting ourselves from getting bitten," Gonzalez said in a news release.</blockquote><blockquote>There were 14 human cases of West Nile confirmed in El Paso last year, officials said. The most recent deaths associated with the virus in El Paso were two cases in 2015.</blockquote>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="1caf7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5T4L7F1576663246"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="998745370128773120" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Ticks and Mosquitoes Bringing More Diseases—What Can We Do? https://t.co/2zVUTBPu92 @Greenpeace @World_Wildlife</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/998745370128773120">1526954426.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br></p><p><a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/west-nile-el-paso-rising-temperatures-play-role-21905" target="_blank">Climate Central</a>, <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/health/2018/08/08/first-case-west-nile-confirmed-el-paso/938492002/" target="_blank">El Paso Times</a></p><p> <em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Protect Yourself From Disease-Carrying Ticks, Mosquitoes With EWG's 2018 Guide to Bug Repellents
17 July 2018
Health + Wellness
Fairfax County / CC BY-ND 2.0
A number of factors should come into play when you're choosing a bug repellent: what part of the country you live in, where you plan to travel, whether you're pregnant and whether you are planning to use the product on children. EWG's 2018 Guide to Bug Repellents can help you find the right product for yourself and your family.
No repellent works every place against every pest, so it is worth researching the diseases insects and ticks carry where you plan to spend time outside. The repellent you might choose for a backpacking trip in Colorado could be different from the one that might suffice for a picnic on an East Coast beach.
<p>According to the available scientific literature, when you really need protection, your best bets are products made with active ingredients that have been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When a company registers a bug repellent, it must provide the EPA with technical information that shows the chemical is effective against mosquitoes, ticks or both.</p><p>Based on testing data, <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents/ewg-repellent-guide" target="_blank">EWG's top choices for repellents</a> include those that contain the active ingredients picaridin, DEET and IR3535 for protection from a variety of biting insects and ticks. And all three have good safety profiles.</p><p>Many people are concerned about the possible drawbacks of common active ingredients like DEET. EWG researchers have analyzed the science in depth and found that, with proper application and precaution, our recommended active ingredients effectively reduce risk from life-altering diseases and have very low toxicity concerns.</p><p>But these strong chemicals should not be used on infants under 6 months old, and some should not be used on young children.</p><p>"Insects that bite and burrow into your skin are not just a nuisance—they can carry dangerous, even deadly, diseases," said EWG Research Analyst Carla Burns. "Educating yourself on what you can do to protect yourself and your family is important. EWG's guide helps consumers choose the right repellent for their circumstances and provides additional tips to reduce risks from insects."</p><p>EWG's guide breaks down advice on what bug repellents are best for children, adults and women who are pregnant. The guide also goes beyond repellents to offer a list of do's and don'ts for avoiding bug bites. </p><p>According to a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6717e1.htm?s_cid=mm6717e1" target="_blank">new report</a> from the CDC, tick- and insect-transmitted diseases, which can have serious health impacts and may even lead to death, are on the rise. While the agency has reported no cases of Zika virus transmission in the U.S. in 2018, it warns that pest-borne diseases are "a large and growing public health problem in the United States."</p><p>In the U.S., the number one mosquito-borne and tick-borne disease threats are West Nile virus and Lyme disease, respectively. But travelers to tropical regions and some other places could encounter Zika, malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and other diseases. Diseases carried by ticks are rare, but can be severe. EWG recommends prudent tick prevention methods to anyone who spends time in tick-infested areas.</p><p>"Spending plenty of time outside, whether in your backyard, on the beach or on a family camping trip, is important," said EWG senior scientist David Andrews. "By taking a few simple steps, you can spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time worrying about bug bites."</p><p>EWG scientists recommend people avoid a number of toxic and ineffective products, including clip-on repellents and repellent candles—both of which can present inhalation risks.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="1caf7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="IWPTVK1576662863"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="998745370128773120" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Ticks and Mosquitoes Bringing More Diseases—What Can We Do? https://t.co/2zVUTBPu92 @Greenpeace @World_Wildlife</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/998745370128773120">1526954426.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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An Aedes albopictus female mosquito obtaining a blood meal from a human host. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Image Library
By Joyce Sakamoto and Shelley Whitehead
Cases of vector-borne disease have more than doubled in the U.S. since 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported, with mosquitoes and ticks bearing most of the blame.
Mosquitoes, long spreaders of malaria and yellow fever, have more recently spread dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses, and caused epidemic outbreaks, mainly in U.S. territories. The insects are also largely responsible for making West Nile virus endemic in the continental U.S.
<p>
Ticks, which are not insects but <a href="http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/ticks" target="_blank">parasitic arthropods</a>, actually cause more disease in the U.S. than mosquitoes do, accounting for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6717e1.htm?s_cid=mm6717e1_w" target="_blank">76.51 percent of total U.S. vector-borne disease cases</a>. These include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and newer diseases as well.
</p><p>
Why the uptick in vector-borne disease, and more importantly, how can we protect ourselves from potentially serious diseases? As researchers of these types of diseases, we have some answers.
</p><p><strong>Blood: The High Cost of Living</strong></p><p>
Both mosquitoes and ticks transmit disease-causing pathogens through bites.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODc0MTc4N30.uoAP_l7foa5sNjdGrnXdiz_n4pnrubevPlA9id9r3_Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="c2a9c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cbe2802ac75ac9f8f0a1b85b7bdb1897" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Shelley Whitehead</small></p><p>Only the female mosquito takes a blood meal to make eggs, but almost all life stages of ticks need blood to survive.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzI0NDgxMX0.MJADLI_UVItTR8RduWHI4jdCH95bCN16sUAGy4hVioA/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ac72" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="17d530bfda30572158dcac3795bc7919" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Joyce Sakamoto</small></p><p>Although mosquitoes were first demonstrated to have the ability to transmit diseases <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/24/5/pdfs/17-1609.pdf" target="_blank">in 1889</a>, mosquitoes have been transmitting diseases for far longer. Written records as early as 2700 B.C. suggest <a href="https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1756-3305-3-5" target="_blank">malaria plagued humans in China</a>.<br></p><p>
The first suspected dengue outbreak occurred in the early 1600s, but it took three centuries for the first three mosquito-borne diseases—malaria, dengue and yellow fever—to invade the Americas. Yet, in the past two decades alone, we've experienced a wave of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/reporting/case-counts.html" target="_blank">three more mosquito-borne diseases</a>—<a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40475-013-0008-1.pdf" target="_blank">West Nile, Chikungunya and Zika viruses</a>. This marked increase in disease spread is due to several factors, including advances in air and water travel and <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-warming-to-expose-more-people-to-zika-spreading-mosquito-aedes-aegypti-58908" target="_blank">warming temperatures</a>.
</p><p><strong>The High Cost of International Travel and Trade</strong></p><p>
The international tire trade has made <em>Aedes albopictus</em>, the Asian tiger mosquito, a global traveler. This mosquito gains passage on <a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/mar/010309.disease.html" target="_blank">cargo ships</a> and gets unlimited access to man-made containers, which it needs for breeding, in the thousands of tires on board these ships. Rainwater collecting in the tires are ideal breeding sites. Even though it is not a major vector of dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses, this invasive species is still especially dangerous. It is able to outcompete most other mosquito species that live in similar habitats.
</p><p>
We humans serve as hosts for many vector-borne diseases, and our own movement can aid transmission. We can hop on a plane and be in a different country within hours. Diseases once quarantined to other regions of the globe can now be easily transported within an infected human. Some people don't even realize they are sick. Researchers have estimated that up to 80 percent of individuals infected with Zika virus are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05013-9.pdf" target="_blank">symptomless</a>. Yet, if the right vector feeds on a symptomless but infected person, transmission can still occur.
</p><p>
Increased <a href="https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/364/19/fnx186/4107775" target="_blank">climate fluctuations</a>, largely due to human activity, can also affect how vector-borne diseases spread. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">Warmer climates</a> may allow mosquitoes to survive in areas previously too cold to support them.
</p><p>
Predicting the outcome of warming on overall vector populations can be difficult. If, for example, summer in the deep Southeast becomes too hot and dry for mosquito development, peaks in transmission and mosquito numbers could shift to the fall. Higher temperatures may shorten the time it takes for pathogens to develop within mosquitoes, so mosquitoes may become <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/106/33/13844.full.pdf" target="_blank">infectious faster</a> and transmit pathogens sooner.
</p><p><strong>Tick-Borne Diseases</strong></p><p>
<a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/fulltext/S1471-4922(12)00121-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1471492212001213%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank">Five percent of 900 tick species</a> are known to transmit disease-causing microorganisms. Because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7497-1" target="_blank">38 percent of all tick species</a> have been known to bite humans, researchers will likely find more tick-borne diseases. Since 2004, there have been nine new vector-borne diseases described in the U.S., and seven of these are tick-transmitted, including the two potentially fatal Bourbon and Heartland viruses.
</p><p>
Most, or <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6717e1.htm?s_cid=mm6717e1_w" target="_blank">82 percent</a> of tick-borne disease cases, are Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacteria <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, and transmitted by the blacklegged, or deer, tick. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6717e1" target="_blank">Cases</a> of Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis have increased two-and-a-half to six-and-a-half fold.
</p><p>
Tick-borne diseases may be rising due to global travel, animal transport, habitat fragmentation and changing climate. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030478" target="_blank">Climate change</a> is correlated with range expansion of several important tick species. Ticks previously limited by cold winters are now becoming established farther north. In response to the arrival of Lyme disease to Canadian soil, the Public Health Agency of Canada responded with a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease-canada-federal-framework.html" target="_blank">Federal Framework on Lyme Disease</a> focused on disease surveillance, education and awareness, and best practices for control, prevention and treatment of Lyme disease.
</p><p><strong>What Can You Do?</strong></p><p>
To lower your risk of transmission from mosquitoes:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Check backyards for anything that could hold water and empty such vessels. This includes children's toys, bird baths, empty soda cans and flower pots.</li>
<li>Use mosquito repellents that are <a href="https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents" target="_blank">EPA</a> approved. Avoid natural repellents that haven't been verified for their effectiveness.</li>
</ul><p>
To prevent tick bites:
</p><p>
One sure way to prevent tick bites is to avoid suitable habitats for ticks, but this isn't always possible. Large-scale habitat control or acaricide (tick-killing) treatment of wildlife, though possible, can be difficult or not cost-effective for homeowners. The best preventative measures are:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Use CDC-recommended repellents such as DEET or picaridin.</li>
<li>Shower and do a thorough tick check.</li></ul><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjM1NTA0NH0.T7QA2P8Eb-ayLBO8G9qzNblCx0Qg3D5U-kYpOXQ_efY/img.jpg?width=980" id="0a767" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="901b2f7a57262c0fdf64b377c10b3ef8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Joyce Sakamoto</small></p><p>Tick checks are absolutely crucial. People usually follow this routine after going outdoors, but sometimes forget. And they often avoid places that ticks love, such as between your legs. Hard-to-reach areas are prime real estate for blood-feeding parasites that don't want to be dislodged, so make sure to check: the hairline (especially on children), torso, belly button and groin. If necessary, get assistance or a mirror and a bright light.<br></p><p>
If you find an embedded tick, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html" target="_blank">correctly dislodge it</a> with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping the part closest to the skin and pulling straight up. Do not burn, squeeze, twist or smother the tick, since this may cause it to regurgitate. Gross-out alert: Any pathogens they have in their saliva can then be dumped into the bite site.
</p><p>
After removal, keep the tick for identification; different species transmit different pathogens. Finally, see a doctor after finding an embedded tick or if you think you have been bitten. In addition to getting medical attention, your data will be added to the national list of reported tick-borne diseases.
</p><p>
The CDC has several pages dedicated to vector-borne disease control and prevention. Local state health departments, general practitioners and veterinarians will also have recommendations for prevention, treatment and vector control. Talk to your veterinarian about repellents or agents that will kill mites called <a href="https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=25533" target="_blank">acaricides</a> for pets, since some can be toxic to cats.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="267ee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5B1SWW1576663060"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="928320233810644992" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#EPA Approves Release of Mosquito-Killing #Mosquitoes in 20 States https://t.co/FYN3EBTLz7 @SierraClub @GMWatch… https://t.co/kMCr7jjeGh</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/928320233810644992">1510163765.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/ticks-and-mosquitoes-bringing-more-diseases-what-can-we-do-96688" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em><br></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96688/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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