Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a device they call a LAMP OSD which can plug into a smartphone to reveal whether a mosquito is the Aedes aegypti species.

Meghan's visit to Fiji and Tonga goes against travel advice that pregnant women should consider not travelling to the countries because of the 'moderate risk' of catching the tropical disease.

Meghan, 37 - who is expecting her first child - has selected more covered-up ensembles in Fiji. She has also chosen lighter colours, as mosquitoes are more attracted to dark clothing.

Meghan was displaying particularly glowing skin as she attended a reception in Tonga yesterday, and it's most likely the shine was down to insect repellent she's using to ward off mosquito bites.

Health officials say they discovered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes - known to carry Zika virus and dengue - in York County, Nebraska, on Tuesday . It's the first time they've been seen in the state.

The world of sport is a quiet place right now, as competitions spanning all disciplines across the globe have slammed shut their doors amid the growing pandemic. It is, however, not the first time.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have studied thousands of species of animals and birds to work out where reservoirs of contagious, mosquito-borne viruses could be.

When an epidemic such as Zika threatens to sweep across the country, public-health workers and policy makers need some basic information in order to plan a strategic response to make the best use of limited resources to protect the public from the spread of the disease. Enter the mathematicians and statisticians.

Scientists in California are breeding and releasing mosquitos into Zika hotspots. While it may seem like they're making matters worse, they are actually releasing a kind of biological trojan horse.

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Online news editor Catherine Matacic shares stories on the evolution of sign language, short conversations than can change minds on social issues, and finding the one-in-a-million people who seem to be resistant to certain genetic diseases—even if they carry genes for them.   Nuno Faria joins host Sarah Crespi to explain how genomic analysis can track Zika’s entry date into Brazil and follow its spread.     [Image: r.a. olea/Flickr]

DNA fingerprinting has been used to link people to crimes for decades, by matching DNA from a crime scene to DNA extracted from a suspect. Now, investigators are using other parts of the genome—such as markers for hair and eye color—to help rule people in and out as suspects. Staff Writer Gretchen Vogel talks with Sarah Crespi about whether science supports this approach and how different countries are dealing with this new type of evidence. Sarah also talks with Jill Fernandes of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, about her Science Advances paper on a light-based technique for detecting Zika in mosquitoes. Instead of grinding up the bug and extracting Zika DNA, her group shines near-infrared light through the body. Mosquitoes carrying Zika transmit this light differently from uninfected ones. If it’s successful in larger trials, this technique could make large-scale surveillance of infected mosquitoes quicker and less expensive. In our monthly books segment, Jen Golbeck talks with author Sarah-Jayne Blakemore about her new work: Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain. You can check out more book reviews and share your thoughts on the Books et al. blog. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts. [Image: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Music: Jeffrey Cook]

Strawberries had both male and female parts, like most plants, until several million years ago. This may seem like a long time ago, but it actually means strawberries have some of the youngest sex chromosomes around. What are the advantages of splitting a species into two sexes? Host Sarah Crespi interviews freelance journalist Carol Cruzan Morton about her story on scientists’ journey to understanding the strawberry’s sexual awakening. In 2016, experimental Zika vaccines were swiftly developed in response to the emergence of serious birth defects in the babies of infected woman. Two years after the height of Zika cases, there’s so little spread of the virus in the Americas that it has stymied vaccine trials. Researchers hope to overcome this hurdle with “human challenge experiments”—vaccinating people, then intentionally infecting them with Zika to see whether they’re protected from the virus. Meagan Cantwell talks with staff writer Jon Cohen about his news story that highlights the risks and rewards of human challenge experiments. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Download a transcript of this episode (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast [Image: Public domain; Music: Jeffrey Cook]

Christine Curry, MD, PhD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami, discusses the challenges of keeping pregnant patients and her colleagues well-informed of the facts as Zika virus fears circulate.