Could Your Dog Meds End Malaria or Zika Infections?

Mosquito photo
Will the sun soon be setting on dangerous mosquito populations?

Could that once-monthly beef-flavored pill you give your dog to kill fleas and ticks save thousands of human lives in Zika virus- and malaria-infected areas of the world?

That’s the hypothesis examined in a 2018 publication “Repurposing isoxazoline veterinary drugs for control of vector-borne human diseases”, published by Miglianico, et al., in PNAS.

Vector-Borne Diseases Under Siege
Mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as malaria and Zika virus, and sand fly-transmitted leishmaniasis are major causes of mortality in sub-tropical regions. Although with a lower mortality incidence, mosquito-borne West Nile virus has spread in temperate regions such as Europe and the United States. Continue reading “Could Your Dog Meds End Malaria or Zika Infections?”