Pathfinder
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Mosquito Hunters Set Traps Across Houston, Search for Signs of Zika
May 24, 20165:05 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
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Harris County is home to 56 different species of mosquitoes, says Dr. Mustapha Debboun, director of mosquito control. But only three species are relevant, because they carry viruses harmful to humans.
"We have the Aedes aegypti, which is the yellow fever mosquito. And also the Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, and the Culex mosquito," Debboun explains. "These are the three that we are after. And thank God, we're only dealing with three."
Debbun says they mostly find West Nile ? 1,286 cases in 2014, 406 in 2015, none so far this year. He says in the past five years, they've had four positive tests for St. Louis encephalitis (also carried by Culex), and none for dengue or chikungunya. Zika ? as well as dengue and chikungunya ? is transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes and has not been found in Harris County mosquitoes.
...
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...traps-across-houston-search-for-signs-of-zika
May 24, 20165:05 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
...
Harris County is home to 56 different species of mosquitoes, says Dr. Mustapha Debboun, director of mosquito control. But only three species are relevant, because they carry viruses harmful to humans.
"We have the Aedes aegypti, which is the yellow fever mosquito. And also the Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, and the Culex mosquito," Debboun explains. "These are the three that we are after. And thank God, we're only dealing with three."
Debbun says they mostly find West Nile ? 1,286 cases in 2014, 406 in 2015, none so far this year. He says in the past five years, they've had four positive tests for St. Louis encephalitis (also carried by Culex), and none for dengue or chikungunya. Zika ? as well as dengue and chikungunya ? is transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes and has not been found in Harris County mosquitoes.
...
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...traps-across-houston-search-for-signs-of-zika