The American South has been under constant duress from extreme weather events spurred by rising global temperatures, but the region could face a different kind of threat that it hasn’t experienced in over a century: yellow fever.
What’s happening?
A joint report from the Baylor College of Medicine and the Stanford School of Medicine published in the New England Journal of Medicine warned that warmer climates, urbanization, and “shifting patterns of human migration” are increasing the likelihood of a rapid spread of mosquito-borne infections in the States.
It noted that “extreme poverty throughout Texas and the Gulf Coast states, where inadequate or low-quality housing, absent or broken window screens, and a pervasive dumping of tires in poor neighborhoods” can become breeding sites for mosquitoes, make the South particularly vulnerable.
“We’ve seen a rise in mosquito-transmitted illnesses in Texas and Florida, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, but now we’re also worried about yellow fever since it seems to be accelerating in tropical regions of Latin America such as Brazil and Venezuela,” Dr. Peter Hotez, professor and dean of Baylor College of Medicine and co-author of the paper, said in a statement.
Why is the return of yellow fever concerning?
According to the WHO, common symptoms of yellow fever include fever, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. It can affect the liver and kidneys in severe cases and cause jaundice, the yellowing of skin, from which the virus gets its name.
While yellow fever falls under the same classifications as dengue and Zika virus, it has a higher mortality rate, killing approximately half of the afflicted patients within seven to 10 days after they enter the toxic phase.
Yellow fever’s potential return to prominence underscores the ripple effects of a warming planet. Rising temperatures have allowed mosquitoes to migrate to newer environments while lengthening the season in which the insects are active.
“One of the reasons we established National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor was in recognition that tropical infections have become a new normal due to a confluence of climate change, urbanization and poverty on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Texas,” Dr. Hotez added.
What is being done about the potential threat of yellow fever?
The researchers called for mosquito control through the development of antiviral drugs, vaccines, and genetic engineering to permanently alter mosquito genes.
“The mosquitoes that spread yellow fever are here in the U.S. and conditions are increasingly favorable for them as our world warms,” said Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, professor of pediatrics-infectious disease at Stanford School of Medicine and publication co-author. “We need a comprehensive plan to better protect at-risk communities in the southern U.S. from mosquito-borne diseases.”
In the meantime, individuals can prepare by taking a single-dose yellow fever vaccine that has been available for over eight decades or using pesticide-free measures to either repel mosquitoes or prevent their reproduction.
News
Fake Science Is Growing Faster Than Legitimate Research, New Study Warns
New research reveals organized networks linking paper mills, intermediaries, and compromised academic journals Organized scientific fraud is becoming increasingly common, ranging from fabricated research to the buying and selling of authorship and citations, according [...]
Scientists Unlock a New Way to Hear the Brain’s Hidden Language
Scientists can finally hear the brain’s quietest messages—unlocking the hidden code behind how neurons think, decide, and remember. Scientists have created a new protein that can capture the incoming chemical signals received by brain [...]
Does being infected or vaccinated first influence COVID-19 immunity?
A new study analyzing the immune response to COVID-19 in a Catalan cohort of health workers sheds light on an important question: does it matter whether a person was first infected or first vaccinated? [...]
We May Never Know if AI Is Conscious, Says Cambridge Philosopher
As claims about conscious AI grow louder, a Cambridge philosopher argues that we lack the evidence to know whether machines can truly be conscious, let alone morally significant. A philosopher at the University of [...]
AI Helped Scientists Stop a Virus With One Tiny Change
Using AI, researchers identified one tiny molecular interaction that viruses need to infect cells. Disrupting it stopped the virus before infection could begin. Washington State University scientists have uncovered a method to interfere with a key [...]
Deadly Hospital Fungus May Finally Have a Weakness
A deadly, drug-resistant hospital fungus may finally have a weakness—and scientists think they’ve found it. Researchers have identified a genetic process that could open the door to new treatments for a dangerous fungal infection [...]
Fever-Proof Bird Flu Variant Could Fuel the Next Pandemic
Bird flu viruses present a significant risk to humans because they can continue replicating at temperatures higher than a typical fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing or stopping viral [...]
What could the future of nanoscience look like?
Society has a lot to thank for nanoscience. From improved health monitoring to reducing the size of electronics, scientists’ ability to delve deeper and better understand chemistry at the nanoscale has opened up numerous [...]
Scientists Melt Cancer’s Hidden “Power Hubs” and Stop Tumor Growth
Researchers discovered that in a rare kidney cancer, RNA builds droplet-like hubs that act as growth control centers inside tumor cells. By engineering a molecular switch to dissolve these hubs, they were able to halt cancer [...]
Platelet-inspired nanoparticles could improve treatment of inflammatory diseases
Scientists have developed platelet-inspired nanoparticles that deliver anti-inflammatory drugs directly to brain-computer interface implants, doubling their effectiveness. Scientists have found a way to improve the performance of brain-computer interface (BCI) electrodes by delivering anti-inflammatory drugs directly [...]
After 150 years, a new chapter in cancer therapy is finally beginning
For decades, researchers have been looking for ways to destroy cancer cells in a targeted manner without further weakening the body. But for many patients whose immune system is severely impaired by chemotherapy or radiation, [...]
Older chemical libraries show promise for fighting resistant strains of COVID-19 virus
SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to mutate, with some newer strains becoming less responsive to current antiviral treatments like Paxlovid. Now, University of California San Diego scientists and an international team of [...]
Lower doses of immunotherapy for skin cancer give better results, study suggests
According to a new study, lower doses of approved immunotherapy for malignant melanoma can give better results against tumors, while reducing side effects. This is reported by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Journal of the National [...]
Researchers highlight five pathways through which microplastics can harm the brain
Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain. More than 57 million people live with dementia, [...]
Tiny Metal Nanodots Obliterate Cancer Cells While Largely Sparing Healthy Tissue
Scientists have developed tiny metal-oxide particles that push cancer cells past their stress limits while sparing healthy tissue. An international team led by RMIT University has developed tiny particles called nanodots, crafted from a metallic compound, [...]
Gold Nanoclusters Could Supercharge Quantum Computers
Researchers found that gold “super atoms” can behave like the atoms in top-tier quantum systems—only far easier to scale. These tiny clusters can be customized at the molecular level, offering a powerful, tunable foundation [...]
