zika

Health & Safety

Why mosquitoes might find you irresistible. Hint: A viral lure

3:27pm June 30, 2022

by Ari Daniel

Researchers have found that certain viruses may have a trick up their sleeve that can make humans more attractive to mosquitoes. The study also revealed a possible remedy.

Yaritza Martinez developed a Zika virus infection in 2016 when she was pregnant with her son Yariel, who is now 5 years old. Yariel is enrolled in a long-term study following a group of babies in the U.S. and in Colombia to see how they have been developi

Health & Safety

5 years later, researchers assess how children exposed to Zika are developing

6:10pm December 27, 2021

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Subtle developmental differences in children whose brains seemed normal at birth underscore the need to follow children long term — a lesson that may be key for babies exposed to COVID-19.

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Rochelle dos Santos helps her daughter with physical therapy. Many children with congenital Zika disorder are physically disabled.

Remembering Zika: Parents offered their kids for studies, then say they were forgotten

3:04pm October 21, 2021

by Mariana Lenharo

Years after agreeing to take part in research, families of children with congenital Zika syndrome are feeling abandoned.

A female Aedes aegypti mosquito feeds on human skin.

Why Does A Virus Cause Problems In One Region But Not Another? A Study Offers Insight

6:17pm November 20, 2020

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In 2015, the mosquito-borne virus Zika exploded in South America. Health experts predicted it would erupt in Africa. But a major outbreak never happened. Now scientists think they understand why.

With her blood meal visible through her transparent abdomen, the female Aedes aegypti mosquito takes flight as she leaves her host's skin surface.

Why One Dangerous Mosquito Developed A Taste For Human Blood

4:13pm July 23, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Given the choice between an animal and a human, the Aedes aegypti species prefers ... us. A new study explains how that happened.

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Mother Daniele Santos holds her baby Juan Pedro, who has microcephaly, on May 30, 2016, in Recife, Brazil. Researchers are now learning that Zika's effects can appear up to a year after birth.

Babies Who Seem Fine At Birth May Have Zika-Related Problems Later, Study Finds

7:22pm August 07, 2018

by Rob Stein

The largest study to follow women infected with Zika while they were pregnant finds about 6 percent of children had problems at birth, but 14 percent had complications by their first birthday.

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The beaches of Brazil beckon — but travelers need to find out if they're heading to a part of the country where a yellow fever vaccine is recommended.

A Global Guide For Leery Travelers

7:00am June 23, 2018

by Christopher Elliott

Is your destination too dangerous? How do you protect yourself from health threats?

A Miami-Dade County mosquito control worker sprays around a home in August 2016 in the Wynwood area of Miami. A University of Florida study recently identified the first known human case of the mosquito-borne Keystone virus.

Keystone Virus Makes Jump From Mosquitoes To Human For First Time

11:42pm June 21, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The first known human case of the virus was identified in a Florida teen after a year of tests. Known symptoms include fever and a severe rash, but it's unclear if it causes brain inflammation.

A woman who is eight months pregnant in Recife, Brazil. The Zika virus has been rampant in this region.

Health & Safety

Did Zika Cause More Miscarriages Than Microcephaly?

5:12pm November 10, 2017

by Jason Beaubien

A study looks at the rate of miscarriage — and of babies born with the birth defect — among a group of pregnant women in Brazil. Researchers were surprised by what they found.

Twins Heloisa (left) and Heloa Barbosa, both born with microcephaly, had a one-year birthday party on April 16 in Areia, Brazil. Their mother says she contracted the Zika virus during pregnancy.

Health & Safety

How Zika Became So Dangerous For Babies

7:56pm September 28, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

For decades, Zika had been relatively innocuous. In 2015, that changed. A new study unravels the mystery of what caused thousands of cases of microcephaly.

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