Dengue fever

Florida has been playing host to an emerging version of the dengue virus, new research shows. The study found that the state has experienced an “unprecedented” number of cases caused by dengue virus serotype 3 over the past two years, including locally acquired cases. Outbreaks have remained relatively small and contained, at least for now.Former NASA Astronaut Leland Melvin on the “Overview Effect”Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease. Most initial infections cause no symptoms, but about a quarter will experience flu-like…

This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.In Bangladesh, roughly 300,000 people have been infected with dengue this year during the country's worst-ever outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted disease. By mid-November, the death toll hit close to 1,500, as hospitals in the densely populated South Asian country struggled to cope with the surge in…

An Aedes aegypti mosquito.Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)Researchers in Japan say they’ve discovered “super” resistant mosquitoes in Asia. In a study published this week, they detail finding populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—a common disease vector—in Vietnam and Cambodia carrying several mutations believed to confer strong protection against the most widely used insecticides. The discovery should merit urgent action to prevent these mutations from spreading globally, they argue.A. aegypti mosquitoes are one of…

Aedes aegypti mosquitos, the primary vector of dengue, seen at a lab of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Sao Paulo University, on January 8, 2016 in Sao Paulo, BrazilPhoto: Nelson Ameida/AFP (Getty Images)A dangerous viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes has seemingly landed in Arizona. Earlier this week, health officials reported that a Maricopa County resident recently contracted dengue, while routine surveillance has found traces of the dengue virus in at least one nearby mosquito population. These…