It doesn't have sharp teeth or claws, but the mosquito kills more people than any other animal on earth. As the climate warms, mosquito season is lasting longer, giving them more time to spread danger...

In Germany, insecticide use is recommended during mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, yet nationwide data on insecticide resistance in key vector species are scarce. This is particularly relevant for Culex pipiens s.l., a vector of West Nile virus. Here, we provide the first broad-scale assessment of molecular insecticide resistance (kdr and ace-1 mutations) in Cx. pipiens f. pipiens across Germany. We associated insecticide resistances with environmental conditions, potential links with mitochondrial variation of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene as well as phenotypic resistance (CDC bottle assay with permethrin) of the Frankfurt population with elevated kdr frequencies. Kdr resistance alleles were detected in German Cx. pipiens f. pipiens reaching frequencies of up to 50% in the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Frankfurt am Main. Annual precipitation was negatively associated with kdr allele frequency. Interestingly, ace-1 resistance mutations were only present in the metropolitan area of Frankfurt am Main and in Muggensturm (Rhine valley, southwestern Germany). COI haplotype analyses revealed low genetic variability within German Cx. pipiens f. pipiens populations with no association to the insecticide resistance genotype. Phenotypic assays of the Frankfurt population showed early signs of permethrin resistance, but unmatched genotypic and phenotypic resistance state. This study provides the first broad-scale assessment of molecular insecticide resistance in Cx. pipiens f. pipiens across Germany, establishing a baseline for resistance surveillance and vector control. Further research is needed to identify factors shaping phenotypic resistance, as molecular markers alone may not reliably predict resistance. Since sampling was restricted to urban green spaces, broader sampling across environmental gradients is needed to identify additional environmental effectors.

The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) was largely eliminated from industrialized countries by mid-twentieth century insecticide campaigns including the widespread application of DDT. However, by the ...

Two new malaria cases have been registered this week near Frankfurt airport, two months after cases first emerged.

Author summary West Nile virus and Usutu virus are two closely related flaviviruses transmitted by mosquitoes. Both viruses share a very similar transmission cycle and often occur in the same regions....

Adding insecticidal compounds to paints or coatings can help kill insect disease vectors that come into contact with the treated surfaces.1,2 There is growing evidence that insecticidal paints can inc...

The immediate risk is very low. The discovery shows how warmer weather may change Britain’s defences against mosquito-borne disease.

Bangladesh's dengue outbreak is accelerating, with 42,590 people hospitalised and 117 deaths recorded this year.

UKHSA finds invasive Aedes aegypti breeding in east London, prompting enhanced surveillance.

The Secor Lab seeks a postdoctoral researcher to investigate bacteriophage biology in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The successful candidate will help define how phiBB-1 controls h...

Publication date: Available online 29 August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Darian Cáceres Roche, Luis Ferreira, Cynthia Bernal, Lívia Sacchetto, Sofía Echeverria, Patricia Ayala, Adriana Valenzuela, Laura Patricia Mendoza, Ana K. Ibarrola-Vannucci, José Montiel, Mauricio L Nogueira, Magaly Martínez, Adrian Diaz, Alejandra Rojas, Fátima María Cardozo Segovia

A scoping review of 91 studies, combined with a workshop involving 41 experts from six European countries, mapped the spread, biology, surveillance challenges, and potential disease relevance of the i...

Publication date: Available online 30 August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Giovanni Marini, Maria Vittoria Mancini, Claudia Damiani, Kornélia Kurucz, Alessandro Albieri, Daniele Arnoldi, Romina Bahrami, Giulia Battistin, Margo Blaha, Davide Bonetto, Lidia Iustina Danca, Sofia Di Castri, Carmela Di Santo, Kamil Erguler, Nicola Ferrari, Eleonora Flacio, Alessandra Franceschini, Daniel Gingell, Federica Gobbo, Francesco Gradoni

Publication date: Available online 28 August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): João Victor Costa Guesser, Andre Akira Gonzaga Yoshikawa, Jhenifer Cintia Beneti, Sabrina Fernandes Cardoso, Lucas Reck Dutra, Luísa Damazio Pitaluga Rona, André Nóbrega Pitaluga

As of 26 August, a total of 19 deaths had been reported, all among patients aged over 65.

Triatomine bugs are blood feeding insects that transmit the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of Chagas disease. The bugs are found primarily in the Americas with a few species in Asia and A...

University of Delaware study details the finding of the first known live kissing bug in Europe

Publication date: Available online 27 August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Alessia Vinci, Cipriano Foxi, Daniele Dedola, Valentina Sini, Giuseppe Satta, Luca Ruiu

Kosovo shows how surveillance can uncover hidden circulation—and help countries prepare before human cases appear

Publication date: Available online 27 August 2026 Source: Acta Tropica Author(s): Alessia Vinci, Cipriano Foxi, Daniele Dedola, Valentina Sini, Giuseppe Satta, Luca Ruiu

An unusual cluster of malaria cases at Frankfurt Airport infected six employees, two fatally. Mosquitos brought in on an aircraft are thought to have caused the infections.

It is believed the mosquitoes arrived at Germany's busiest airport on a plane, according to German public health officials.

Author summary Five mosquito-borne viruses, namely dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Rift Valley fever, and Zika, cause widespread illness across Africa, yet most of what we know about why some patie...

Position: The Mosquito Bucket Challenge Is Not a Replacement for  Integrated Mosquito Management Programs Summary: The AMCA recognizes the strong public interest in the Mosquito Bucket Challenge and a...