Democracy Dies in Darkness

As the Aedes aegypti mosquito spreads globally, so does the risk of epidemics

November 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. EST
An Aedes aegypti mosquito seen on a human hand in a lab in Colombia. (Jaime Saldarriag/Reuters)

Of all the mosquito species that populate the planet, few have proved themselves more resilient or more deadly to humans than the Aedes aegypti. The epidemics fueled by this tiny mosquito stretch across hundreds of years and include millions of victims.

Yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya. And now Zika, which has spread to more than 50 countries and can cause an array of severe birth defects.