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West Nile virus surges in #Murica; drought concentrates mosquitoes around shrinking pools of water, raising risk of transmission. {The Independent 18 August}
Counter-intuitive though it may seem, drought increases transmission by concentrating mosquitoes and birds around ever-shrinking water sources.
FTA: The majority of cases occur in the summer, when warm and west conditions are at their peak.
While mosquitoes thrive in these conditions, experts say climate change-driven drought in Arizona and across the West has actually helped the disease spread.
Drought means that mosquitoes breed around smaller bodies of water, giving more opportunity for the virus to spread between them.
“Drought conditions can paradoxically increase West Nile virus transmission because it concentrates mosquitoes and birds (West Nile virus is a bird virus, first) around shrinking water sources, increasing transmission risk,” Matthew Aliota, a professor at the University of Minnesota, who specializes in these kinds of viruses, previously told The Independent.
🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈
