Zika virus shocked scientists because the mosquito-borne disease causes birth defects

West Nile virus was detected in UK mosquitoes for the first time in 2023

Fragments of the virus were detected in mosquitoes that were being collected in Britain for the first time in 2023, but the UK government considers the overall risk to people to be low. As of spring 2026, there have never been detected locally-acquired cases of the disease.

Pregnancy makes someone more attractive to the mosquito species that transmits malaria

Research suggests that hormonal levels can affect mosquito attraction. Pregnancy, in particular, is associated with significantly increased interest from Anopheles mosquitoes, which boosts pregnant women's malaria risk.

Explore inside a mosquito factory where millions of mosquitoes are bred weekly

In Medellin, Colombia, scientists are infecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia, a bacterium that wouldn't otherwise infect the species, but does block its ability to transmit dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya. In the wild, infected mosquitoes would breed with wild mosquitoes, pass down Wolbachia, and thus reduce disease transmission.

Chagas disease can be transmitted to a fetus during pregnancy

Researchers estimate that 63 to 315 cases of congenital Chagas disease occur annually in the US. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of all Chagas disease cases will progress to cardiac or gastrointestinal disease.

More than 20 mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases are found in the US

Children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems are at particular risk of poorer health outcomes from these diseases. But dog owners and outdoor enthusiasts are among those at particular risk of contracting these illnesses, which include Lyme disease, Zika, and the condition Alpha-gal Syndrome.

There's no cure for West Nile virus—and infection can leave patients with permanent symptoms

This news story features Marie Heilman, a woman who became ill at age 40 from an infected mosquito bite in her yard. She says she was in a coma for 15 days, and though she woke up, she suffers from seizures, fatigue, vision issues, and has had two strokes.

'Sloth fever' is an emerging health threat, especially to pregnant women

This disease, caused by the Oropouche virus, is found in animals including sloths, primates, and birds. It primarily spreads through the bite of midges—insects commonly called "no-see-ums." It's endemic to the Amazon region, but US travelers are increasingly contracting it internationally.

The mosquito's role in the transmission of malaria was confirmed in 1897

The British army doctor Ronald Ross, who later won the Nobel Prize for his work, was the first to describe the transmission of malarial parasites by mosquitoes. He had lab mosquitoes suck blood from malaria-infected people and separately found the malaria parasite inside a mosquito's gut, confirming the bug's role in malaria transmission.

Mosquito-borne illnesses have killed captive orcas at SeaWorld

After two SeaWorld orcas died from viruses carried by mosquitoes, scientists warn that mosquito-borne illnesses may be a bigger threat to these captive animals than previously known. Captive orcas spend a lot of time stationary, close to the surface, unlike their wild counterparts. Researchers saw mosquitoes landing on the animals' backs, heads, and dorsal fins, supping on their blood.

From 1970 to 2017, invasive species have caused $1.28T in damage globally

The costliest species were the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes ($149B), which arrived in the US from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. The bulk of their damage came from their transmission of diseases such as Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Dengue is sometimes called 'breakbone fever' because it's so painful

Though this mosquito-transmitted disease can be asymptomatic, in more severe cases patients experience high fever, muscle spasms, and joint pain. The experience can be so excruciating that it feels like the patient's bones are broken, thus the nickname of breakbone fever. It's the world's fastest spreading tropical disease.

Improved 19th-century sanitation meant kids encountered polio later, with worse results

Almost all children likely used to contract poliovirus, but scientists suggest that when infants encountered it very early in life—due to poorer conditions and hygiene—they still had some maternal protection from pregnancy or through breastmilk, so the symptoms were more flu-like.

Florida reports 71 imported malaria cases annually—4% of all the US cases

The Sunshine State reports an average of 71 imported malaria cases annually. Malaria isn't endemic to Florida but mosquitoes in the state are biologically capable of transmitting the disease from one infected person to another noninfected person.

Is Agent Orange still causing birth defects?

Though the dangerous nature of the chemical is clear, its impact across generations is less so. How far down the bloodline does Agent Orange travel, and what does it leave in its wake, if anything? This Scientific American article examines why there’s debate about Agent Orange’s legacy.

There are two recommended malaria vaccines

Two vaccines are currently recommended by world health experts for children living in areas where malaria transmission is common. The first, RTS,S/ASO1, formally became recommended for use by the World Health Organization in October 2021, and the second was approved by the WHO two years later. Both have faced logistical, financial, and uptake challenges.

Rabies kills more than 50,000 worldwide each year

Rabies transmission to humans typically comes from an infected animal, and death was very common before recent protocols were developed (post-exposure prophylaxis). The virus is neurotropic, which means it has an affinity for nerve tissue, and moves quickly from broadly infecting the body to destroying the brain.

Exposing fetuses to certain flavors in the womb could lead to children being less picky eaters

A new study found that 3-year-olds were less averse to the smell of vegetables they had been repeatedly exposed to in utero, suggesting that what mothers eat in late pregnancy can leave a lasting imprint on their children's tastes.

Ebola infects and disables immune cells, triggering a cascade of events that leads to small blood clots throughout the body, weakening blood vessels and interrupting blood flow to key organs.

Untreated malaria can lead to blocked blood vessels in the brain, coma, and organ failure

Malaria is treatable with medications, but sometimes even after treatment, infection can come back because the disease-causing parasite wasn't completely eliminated. Patients may also have symptoms that emerge years after the initial infection and treatment.

Fruit fly experiments helped identify genes responsible for major body development

The insects' fast life cycle and affordability have allowed geneticists to quickly identify which genes are responsible for limbs, eyes, and other body structures by inducing mutations. The same genes may be responsible for different parts of a species' body, such as limb-building genes being responsible for wing pigmentation in butterflies.

See how the Ebola virus affects blood circulation in the human body

Ebola infects and disables immune cells, causing a cascade of events that result in small blood clots throughout the body, weakening blood vessels, and interrupting blood flow to key organs.

Some data links schizophrenia to older paternal age and birth complications

Yet both associations are not yet considered firm enough to definitively be causative. Schizophrenia is a multi-causal syndrome and a mixture of factors, including genetics, are widely believed to be behind its development.

How the heart achieves its first beat

Scientists observed zebrafish embryos as they grew and isolated the several-second-long initial heartbeats to better understand this crucial moment in every heart's life. The zebrafish's heart starts beating 20 hours into their existence. Each heart cell activates electrically at random, without rhythm. As these cells mature, they become more sensitive to electrical charges; as they all fire, a rhythm is established and a pulse is born.

The first prenatal screen for disease was developed in 1961

Scientist Robert Guthrie created a method to test newborns for a metabolic defect called phenylketonuria, or PKU. This blood test didn't look for gene variants—it hunted for excess phenylalanine in the blood. The disorder is caused by an inability to digest the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to excess phenylalanine in the body. PKU results in intellectual disability, seizures, and other symptoms if it isn't caught early and treated with a specialized diet.

How to repair a baby’s broken heart

A rare disorder that prevents some babies from getting enough oxygen to their organs can be repaired through a series of three intricate surgeries. This article and graphic explain the process behind correcting single-ventricle defects, also known as SVDs.This disorder happens when one of the heart's lower chambers doesn't work correctly, resulting in deoxygenated and oxygenated blood circulating the body rather than just the latter.

Every virus is classified into 7 groups based on genetic differences

Viruses infecting humans have been named based on symptoms ("chickenpox") or the location or animal in which they were first discovered ("Bolivian Haemorrhagic Fever" and "Monkeypox"). For clarity among scientists and to reduce stigma, virologists classify the 15,000 known viruses (270 of which infect humans) by their basic genetic material.

Ebola species have historically been named after where they were discovered, stigmatizing residents who live there, including Bundibugyo, in Uganda.

This real-time tracking of the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak in May 2026 offers a unique glimpse into the global reach of the outbreak and whether the virus sickened passengers and their communities around the world.

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

US intelligence allegedly pursued more than 600 schemes to assassinate Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1986 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered the use of special effects