Chikungunya

Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The resulting illness is also called chikungunya. Chikungunya outbreaks have been reported from India, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Travel and globalization increase the possibility of epidemic outbreaks in other regions around the globe, wherever the mosquitoes capable of transmitting CHIKV are found. The mosquito species Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are good vectors and well-established in Florida. In the event of an outbreak, mosquito control and public health agencies in Florida need knowledge of populations, where they are produced, and hot spots with large populations that could be easily targeted for control. 

UF/IFAS Resources

• Florida Medical Entomology Lab website

The Department of Entomology and Nematology maintains tripartite priorities consistent with the mandate given to full-service landgrant universities and associated experiment stations: Research, Extension, and Academics. These programs are facilitated with state funding, extramural contract and grant funding, donations and gifts, and the collaborative efforts of cooperating agencies and institutions. The Department has coordinated faculty efforts and strengths into what could be considered major thrust areas for the Department. These areas of emphasis include: Behavior, Ecology, and Systematics; Biological Control; Medical, Veterinary and Urban Entomology; Nematology; Pest Management; and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Genetics.