Mosquitoes have all but vanished from parts of the United States this summer, and residents in states like Minnesota say they cannot remember a season this quiet. A historic drought sweeping through the West and Midwest has cut mosquito populations by as much as 50 to 70 per cent in some regions. Normally that would sound like good news for anyone tired of bug bites. But scientists are worried, because the drop in mosquito numbers has coincided with a sharp rise in West Nile virus cases across the country. The two trends appear to contradict each other, yet researchers say there is a clear and troubling explanation behind why fewer mosquitoes can still mean more disease. Researchers now describe this pattern as a warning sign for public health officials nationwide, since fewer mosquitoes can create a false sense of safety while the underlying conditions driving virus transmission continue quietly intensifying across affected communities.
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