Over half a century ago, the Zika virus was first detected in Africa.
Its vectors are mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, which are distinguished by striking black and white stripes on the bodies and legs; uncharacteristically, they are diurnal and feed only during daytime hours. The Zika virus is not the only disease that is spread by Aedes mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are responsible for transmitting viruses that bring about dengue fever, yellow fever and West Nile fever together with many other diseases. These pathogens are viral and cannot be easily vaccinated against. The biology is also quite different to the spread of malaria, which is caused by a protozoan (single-celled animal) parasite. The one thing they have in common, however, is the mosquito vector, which in turn is an Achilles heel for the microbes.
In man, the Zika virus causes an illness known as Zika fever, which has been reported from a narrow equatorial region spanning Africa and Asia. In 2015, the virus was first recorded from South and Central America, having made its way across the Pacific. Symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever, though less virulent. There is a link to microcephaly in foetuses born to infected mothers.
But, back to the mosquito.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 107 - October/November 2016-Ausgabe von The African Hunter.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 107 - October/November 2016-Ausgabe von The African Hunter.
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The Tragic - and Needless - Deaths of Claudio and Max Chiarelli: Conspiracy Theories and Lessons Learned
At around 15.30 hours on Sunday, 13 March, the well-known and well-respected professional hunter Claudio Chiarelli, holder of Zimbabwe professional hunter’s licence number 58 (1989) and his son Max died tragically - and needlessly - in a hail of gunfire in the Mana Pools National Park. Initial reports blamed poachers, but in fact it was blue-on-blue: euphemistically-named “friendly fire”.
What we can Learn from the 4 500 Year Old DNA of a Primitive African Hunter
For the first time, the complete genome of a 4 500 year-old African hunter-gatherer has been sequenced from DNA recovered from a skull recovered from Ethiopia’s highlands.
Just Exactly Who Was The Malapati Bull?
The Malapati Bull, as I have chosen to call him until a more positive identification is made, was a large elephant which was shot by a German sport hunter, guided by PH Nixon Dzingai of Sengwe Safaris, on 7 October in the Malapati Safari Area outside Gonarezhou National Park.
Burkino Faso: An Adventure from Start to Finish
On January 18, 2016 there was a terrorist attack on the Splendid Hotel in a coffee shop in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou.
Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease
Over half a century ago, the Zika virus was first detected in Africa.
Hunting The Situatunga
The hunting of the spiral horned antelopes is a noble pursuit of magnificent creatures regardless of the species, country or the environment. They're all incredible in their own way.
