"Controlling Zika Mosquitoes May Be 'Lost Cause'"

"Aedes aegypti, the exotically named mosquito that transmits the Zika virus, defies almost everything Americans think they know about mosquitoes, which means that even experts know very little about how to control them.

Think mosquitoes live in the woods? Not this one.

The female Aedes aegypti — the ones that bite — hang out in your house, preferably under your bed. If door and window screens block her entrance into your house, she will settle down under your patio furniture. And unlike the mosquitoes that most cities target for destruction each summer, the Aedes aegypti doesn't swarm or bite at night.

With the prospect of Zika spreading the continental U.S. this summer, experts say the country must map exactly where the species lives and urgently rethink its standard operating procedures for controlling mosquitoes. Protecting Americans from Zika virus is critical. The virus causes devastating birth defects and is strongly linked to a variety of serious neurological conditions, including a form of paralysis called Guillain-Barre syndrome."

Liz Szabo reports for USA TODAY May 3, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Wolbachia Bacteria May Be Key To Preventing Mosquitoes From Transmitting Zika Virus" (Zika News)

"New Discovery Means More U.S. States Will Face A Risk From Zika" (Washington Post)

"Zika Is Likely to Become a Permanent Peril in U.S." (National Geographic)

"Zika Outbreak: Panama Confirms 4 Microcephaly Cases Linked To Virus" (International Business Times)

"U.S. Airports Respond To Zika Virus Threat" (USA TODAY)
 

Source: USA TODAY, 05/05/2016