Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mosquitoes Probably Won't Give You COVID
CIDRAP: Mosquitoes Unlikely To Transmit SARS-CoV-2, Study Finds
New research by scientists from Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine shows that mosquitoes are unlikely to be a vector for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study published late last week in Scientific Reports. The scientists inoculated three common species of mosquito—Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus—with SARS-CoV-2, with the hypothesis that if the virus did not replicate in the mosquitoes under an extreme viral challenge, the lack of replication would preclude the possibility of biological transmission.
AP: First COVID-19, Now Mosquitoes: Bracing For Bug-Borne Ills
Sophia Garabedian had been dealing with a persistent fever and painful headache when her parents found her unresponsive in her bed one morning last fall. Doctors ultimately diagnosed the then-5-year-old Sudbury, Massachusetts, resident with eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but severe mosquito-borne virus that causes brain swelling. (Marcelo, 7/20)
AP: Mosquitoes Plentiful In Maine, Where State Urges Precautions
Mosquitoes are biting in Maine, and public health authorities in the state say it’s a good time to exercise precautions to limit exposure to diseases they carry. Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus. The risk of contracting the diseases increases in late summer and early fall. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that residents should take steps such as wearing long sleeves and pants, using repellent on skin and clothes and taking extra care at dusk and dawn. It’s also a good idea to drain artificial sources of standing water, because that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs, the department said. (7/21)
