Researchers make concerning discovery while studying disease-carrying mosquitoes: 'We cannot dismiss this'

Recent research has revealed that mosquitoes may be able to transmit diseases across long distances by traveling via high-altitude strong winds, expanding their harmful impact on human health.

What's happening?

A team of scientists conducted a study on the high-altitude movement of mosquito-borne pathogens. Science magazine reported on the findings, which support suspicions that mosquitoes can spread diseases farther than they otherwise would thanks to high-altitude movement. 

According to the report, mosquitoes typically stay close to the ground. They move at about the same pace as a human walking. Most travel no more than around three miles in their lifetimes. But some will soar between approximately 131 and 951 feet above ground. When this happens, they catch a high-altitude jet stream and can ride this powerful wind for 100 miles or more in one night. 

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These trips appear to be purposeful, according to study author Tovi Lehmann, a mosquito ecologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Mosquitoes likely use the high-altitude winds to find resources elsewhere. And they can bring dangerous pathogens with them.

Why is this mosquito movement important?

The scientists captured over 1,000 mosquitoes moving at high altitudes over Mali and Ghana. They found mosquitoes carrying viruses like dengue, West Nile, M'poko, and avian malaria, per Science. 

"We cannot dismiss this movement of pathogens at altitude," Lehmann said. He continued, "The relevance to human health is high, as it is to animal health, both domestic and wild."

Indeed, introducing such harmful pathogens to new locations could have catastrophic consequences, and Earth's rising temperature only makes it easier for these vector-borne illnesses to spread, as a warmer climate allows mosquitoes to expand their ranges and supports their reproduction. 

Moreover, changes in climate may be impacting the high-altitude jet stream. A 2023 study suggested that the jet stream will move faster as the world warms. Per the National Center for Atmospheric Research, analysis suggests it will accelerate by 2% for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit of temperature rise. This means mosquitoes could travel farther and faster than ever before. 

What's being done about mosquitoes carrying pathogens long distances?

Thankfully, scientists believe these movements may not massively impact the spread of diseases because traveling these enormous distances could weaken the mosquitoes. 

Heather Ferguson, an infectious disease ecologist at the University of Glasgow, told Science, "We don't know if [they] would survive these long movements and be sufficiently fit to find and bite a host at the end of their journey."

After further investigation, these findings may ultimately influence future insect control methods in development, which include releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to control disease spread in some African countries, according to the report. 

For now, insect repellents and wearing long pants and sleeves are some ways to keep yourself safe from potential mosquito-borne diseases. In the long term, reducing pollution associated with warming global temperatures can bring the planet back into balance and make things less favorable for mosquitoes. Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and technologies, like LED light bulbs, are simple actions to help.  

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