Latest news with #John-PaulMutebi
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Mosquito season begins in South Florida. Is climate change making it worse?
Climate Change Mosquito season begins in South Florida. Is climate change making it worse? Miami-Dade marks the unofficial beginning of mosquito season with a Wednesday event to help residents 'Fight the Bite', AP As Miami-Dade marks the unofficial beginning of mosquito season with a Wednesday event to help residents 'Fight the Bite', the Herald spoke to the head of the Mosquito Control Division, Dr. John-Paul Mutebi, to answer readers' questions about the links to climate change. Does climate change affect how many mosquitoes we have here, or which disease they transmit? Dr. John-Paul Mutebi: If South Florida gets warmer, it is more hospitable to new mosquito species that are being introduced – they could come in cargo from South America, like potted plants where the mosquitoes may lay eggs, and some hitch hike on a boat or aircraft, because the higher temperature is really good for their survival. They're cold-blooded, so they depend on high temperatures, so that may improve their survival in a new environment. When it comes to disease transmission, there are two aspects: One is extending the range they'll be able to invade - if colder latitudes are warmer now, they are able to invade. The other one is the extension of mosquito season, so they stay active longer. And that is more dangerous, because usually at the end of the season, that's when we have the largest number of infected mosquitoes. Which diseases are you worried about? Dr. Mutebi: Now we have dengue, but we are working on it, and pretty soon it is going to disappear too. There's Eastern equine and St. Louis encephalitis and yellow fever. Then there's chikungunya – now that one I'm much more afraid of, because it tends to put a lot of people in the hospital. Usually, between 70 and 90% of people who get infected are going to end up with severe symptoms. So that one is much more severe, we keep on watching it. The Zika outbreak in South Florida in 2016, was driven by the ease of transportation – it was introduced by humans that we are infected somewhere else – because people can get infected from one part of the world and 24 hours later they are on the other side of the world. We got it under control, but it can come back because of the same system. What can we do as residents to keep mosquito-transmitted diseases at bay? Dr. Mutebi: One, please don't breed mosquitoes on your property. No discarding cans or any kind of structures that can harbor water. Anything containing water, it doesn't take long – usually within a week or two, they've laid their eggs and they hatched. Residents and businesses in Miami-Dade County can also request a free inspection by calling 311, and that is always very helpful because it helps us clean up and get rid of those mosquitoes before they begin to transmit diseases. In terms of our work, we use more than 300 mosquito traps that we monitor every week. So we capture mosquitoes, identify the species, then we plan our control measures - spraying pesticides is one way, but it depends on the species. Miami-Dade alone has 53 different mosquito species, and each has a different behavior, breeding habits, some transmit diseases and others don't. So it is a diverse group, and a monumental task. This Q&A with Dr. Mutebi has been edited for brevity and clarity. This story is part of a periodic Miami Herald series where we answer reader questions about climate change. Send us yours at climate@ This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers sound alarm after recording sudden drop in species used to help fight diseases: 'That is really, really dangerous'
One Florida lizard species has been distracting mosquitoes away from humans and bearing the brunt of their bites. However, that lizard's population is dwindling, leaving increasing mosquito populations to feed on other animals and people instead. As WLRN and The Miami Herald jointly reported, brown anole lizards have been declining in numbers due to reptile collectors releasing their unwanted pets in the wild — primarily, the outlet said, the larger Peter's rock agamas were out-competing the brown anoles for food, dwindling the local population. In the past, brown anoles were prime targets for local mosquitoes. The report noted that an agama "hides in cracks and crevices as soon as the sun begins to set," generally making it less susceptible to mosquito bites than brown anole lizards. Researchers studied whether fewer brown anoles means more birds will get bitten by mosquitoes. Birds are dangerous hosts because of their propensity to spread mosquito-borne diseases. To test their theory about mosquitoes' shifting behaviors, the researchers captured and studied mosquitoes and studied the DNA to identify forensic evidence of what they were biting when they had anoles in their area and when the researchers had caught many anoles and subtracted them from the area. The hypothesis was that when there are not many anoles in the area, the rates of bird bites rise. This WLRN and Miami Herald report came in the middle of these efforts, so it's a "to be continued" for now. But when the results are available, they hope to better understand how humans' introduction of non-native species damages ecosystems and has unintended consequences that risk human health. A University of Florida invasion ecologist, Melissa Miller, said, "Brown anoles seem like such a small component of the ecosystem, but even removing that can have impacts that are felt much higher up the food chain, all the way to humans." This research is significant because of the disease risks mosquitoes carry and because mosquito activity is becoming more common in places like Florida. Our planet's steady overheating is creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive and multiply. With this population boost comes the increased spread of vector-borne illnesses that cause people to become very sick and even die. Mosquitoes are evolving and adapting to rising global temperatures, making diseases like dengue, malaria, and Zika more common in places they've never existed. It is expected that within the next 25 years, mosquito season in the U.S. will last two months longer than it does now. Do you worry about getting diseases from bug bites? Absolutely Only when I'm camping or hiking Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "That is really, really dangerous, because toward the end of the transmission period, that is when most of these mosquitoes are infected," said Miami-Dade's Mosquito Control's division chief, Dr. John-Paul Mutebi. "They keep on picking up the pathogens as the season goes." Studies like this one contribute to our greater comprehension of how healthy ecosystems work and the impacts of eliminating any species. Fortunately, research teams are working to find solutions. For example, one group found that disease threats can be curbed by restricting mosquitoes' preferred plant food sources. Other scientists have been working to disable mosquitoes' ability to spread diseases through gene editing and DNA modification. As an individual, you can help prevent mosquito-spread diseases by limiting your impact on the environment. Never release invasive species into the wild because the widespread ecosystem impacts could be devastating. You can also protect yourself from mosquitoes by paying attention to public health alerts, limiting outdoor activity during prime mosquito times, and eliminating standing water sources in your yard. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
