Bite Club

How vector-borne diseases spread– and the critters that carry them Malaria, Lyme disease, dengue, Zika… what do they all have in common? They’re what we call vector-borne diseases– spread to us by tiny, bite-happy arthropods. These little troublemakers are responsible for 17% of all infectious diseases worldwide, and with climate change and urbanization on the rise, they’re becoming an even bigger threat. In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers sits down with insect investigator Dr. Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec to untangle the intricate web of vector-borne disease dynamics, and explain what makes these insects such masterful disease spreaders. Then, Dr. Pooja Swali shares how ancient DNA from thousands of years ago revealed a pathogen’s curious evolutionary switch from one creepy crawly to another. From mosquitoes to ticks to the not-so-affectionate kissing bug, every insect in this lineup is guilty of something– and genomics is helping us figure out what. Highlights (5:51) Vector disease dynamics: The pathogen, the vector, and the host– a love triangle. (13:10) A neglected disease you may have never heard of. (17:20) Ancient DNA uncovers the tale of an opportunistic pathogen and a surprising partner in crime. (26:20) What changes to our environments does to our disease landscape – Resources 1. Vector-borne diseases - The World Health Organization 2. Ancient DNA used to map evolution of fever-causing bacteria - Science Daily 3. Mapping the distribution of Amblyomma americanum in Georgia, USA - Parasites & Vectors 4. Focal persistence and phylodynamics of Heartland virus in Georgia- Virus Evolution

You can listen to Bite Club online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Bite Club is an episode from Nice Genes! by JAR Audio.

This episode is 32:57 long.

This episode was published on Nov 4, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Nice Genes! when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.