The spread of mosquito-borne illnesses is a growing problem due to warming temperatures
Controlling Mosquitoes
The spread of mosquito-borne illnesses is a growing problem due to warming temperatures -- including in parts of the world that have traditionally not fallen into tropical designations.
That makes the study and prevention of such illnesses more of a pressing local problem than it had been previously.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the vectors of arboviruses causing infectious diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever, and they represent a serious public health burden worldwide.
An increase in dengue cases last year underlines the severity of the problem. Approximately half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Researchers at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine are working to gain insight into the behavior and physiology of mosquitoes to provide a better roadmap toward discovering better disease prevention methods.
Tulane has an established center, the Vector Borne Infectious Diseases Research Center, dedicated to this research.
In addition, Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease researchers such as Dr. Berlin Londoño-Renteria are pushing for greater commitment toward developing vaccines to combat such illnesses.
“We discovered and approved a treatment for COVID vaccine in less than two years,” Londoño-Renteria said. “I think it is time to do the same for these [mosquito-borne] diseases that are affecting a significant number of people worldwide.”
Living with Water: Mosquito-Borne Disease Risk in New Orleans
Sarah Michaels is a medical entomologist with a focus in vector-borne disease. Her background is in arbovirus surveillance, vector control, operational research, and community outreach. Dr. Michaels gained experience in public health practice as an Entomologist at the City of New Orleans Mosquito Control Board and an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist at the Louisiana Office of Public Health. Check out her presentation on mosquito-borne disease risk in New Orleans.
Center for Applied Malaria Research & Evaluation
The center’s mission is to maximize the public health impact of malaria programs by applying innovative and interdisciplinary research tools to solve current and expected challenges in malaria elimination. Our goal is to improve malaria programs through applied population-based evaluation research that is interdisciplinary in its approach to building a robust evidence base to guide malaria control and elimination efforts in the most affected areas.
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Academic Opportunities in Tropical Medicine
The Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPHTM) is a public health degree with a specialty in infectious diseases, especially those found in tropical regions. The program prepares public health practitioners to plan and evaluate disease control and prevention programs, physicians to better treat and evaluate tropical diseases, or students to pursue medical school and other medical professions.
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