Biologists discover that rising temperature accelerates aging in mosquitoes, weakening their immune systems

A study published January 10, 2024 in PLOS Pathogens found that mosquitoes age more quickly when temperatures are higher. This aging, in turn, weakens the mosquito immune system and makes them more likely to get infected with disease. Because global temperature is rising due to climate change, the findings, by Vanderbilt biology graduate student Lindsay Martin and Centennial Professor of Biological Sciences Julián Hillyer, could have grave implications for the mosquito population and disease transmission.