Environmental Changes, Human-Altered Landscapes Aiding Spread Of Mosquitoes, Related Diseases

Associated Press: Higher temperatures make Zika mosquito spread disease more
“…Although it is too early to say for [the Zika] outbreak, past outbreaks of similar diseases involved more than just biology. In the past, weather has played a key role, as have economics, human travel, air conditioning, and mosquito control. Even El Niño sneaks into the game. Scientists say you can’t just blame one thing for an outbreak and caution it is too early to link this one to climate change or any single weather event…” (Borenstein, 2/3).

Washington Post: The hidden environmental factors behind the spread of Zika and other devastating diseases
“The alarming spread of the Zika virus — caused in major part by the infamous Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can also carry dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya virus — is looking more and more like a public health catastrophe. But it’s also, say experts, something else: The latest example of how human alterations to their environments, in the broadest sense, can empower disease-carrying organisms like Aedes and the viruses they bring with them…” (Mooney, 2/3).

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