Dengue Fever

The dengue fever virus, which infects 50 million to 100 million people around the world every year, might possibly yield to a little bacterium called Wolbachia, if research just published in Nature pans out. And that could be big: Researchers have been trying for years to find ways to control the mosquitoes that spread dengue fever and malaria. They've not had much luck so far. Instead of attempting to kill the dengue virus' carrier -- the mosquito Aedes aegypti -- the trick in these experiments was to infect the mosquitoes with a strain of Wolbachia . The Wolbachia doesn't kill mosquitoes, but it gets in the way of replication of the dengue virus inside the insects.

MUSIC The folks behind the Desert Daze festival have assembled a pretty worthy anti-Coachella in its own right. Over 11 days, local luminaries including Allah Las, Bleached and Dengue Fever join noted nationals Akron/Family, the Fresh & Onlys and dozens more in what looks to be the preeminent diversion from that other rock festival down the road. Dillon's Roadhouse, 64647 Dillon Road, Desert Hot Springs. 4 p.m. Thu.-April 22. Free. moonblockparty.org.

AVIAN flu is a worry, of course, if you are headed to Asia. But getting dengue fever is actually a bigger risk on the continent. In the Caribbean, you're more likely to pick up skin parasites. In sub-Saharan Africa, be wary of ticks, which spread spotted fever. The health hazards of international travel are changing, according to the results of a study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine. "It used to be that malaria was the most common cause of fever in travelers to the tropical countries," says Dr. David O. Freedman, director of the Travelers Health Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the lead author of the study.

It started when an El Monte woman called to report an unusual pest: tiny mosquitoes that she said were biting her in the middle of the day. The complaint last week raised red flags for technicians at the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District, who know that common mosquitoes typically attack during morning and evening hours. When a worker arrived at Dodson Street, one of the insects landed on his partner, so he trapped it in a plastic jar. "He took a close look at it, and he realized we might have a problem," said Kelly Middleton, a district spokeswoman.

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, with Dengue Fever When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Grand Performances stage, 300-350 S. Grand Ave. Price: Free Info: (213) 687-2159, http://www.grandperformances.org

Federal officials said Tuesday that they fear an outbreak of dengue fever in Florida after a survey of Key West residents found that at least 5% had been infected or exposed to the virus. With the exception of a handful of isolated cases along the Texas-Mexico border, there had previously been no cases in the continental United States since 1946 and no outbreak in Florida since 1934. [ FOR THE RECORD : 1:56 p.m.: An earlier version of this post didn't specify the "continental United States."

Avian flu and SARS made headlines last year, but malaria and dengue fever should be on travelers' radar for 2005, experts say. That doesn't mean tourists should let down their guard against bird flu or severe acute respiratory syndrome, both of which may reemerge, travel medicine experts say. But several cite malaria and dengue fever as more likely threats. Top health concerns in 2005: Malaria: Until they travel overseas, most Americans don't think much about the mosquito-borne illness, says Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky, senior travelers' health consultant for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta.

Federal health officials confirmed that four people on Maui contracted dengue fever over the summer, the first cases of the mosquito-borne disease in Hawaii in more than 50 years, state officials said. Dengue fever is rarely fatal, and the four people confirmed to have had it have recovered. Still, state health officials are urging people in eastern Maui, a sparsely populated area that is largely rain forest, to take precautions and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

With a dengue fever epidemic spreading through Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, travelers to these destinations are being urged to take precautions. Since the beginning of this year, more than 35,000 cases of dengue fever and 545 cases of its more severe form--hemorrhagic dengue--have been reported in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

For international travelers, the risk of dengue fever--a viral disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito--is usually low. But every year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of dengue, which usually is mild but can be fatal, are confirmed in travelers returning to the United States from visits to endemic areas.

The dengue fever virus, which infects 50 million to 100 million people around the world every year, might possibly yield to a little bacterium called Wolbachia, if research just published in Nature pans out. And that could be big: Researchers have been trying for years to find ways to control the mosquitoes that spread dengue fever and malaria. They've not had much luck so far. Instead of attempting to kill the dengue virus' carrier -- the mosquito Aedes aegypti -- the trick in these experiments was to infect the mosquitoes with a strain of Wolbachia . The Wolbachia doesn't kill mosquitoes, but it gets in the way of replication of the dengue virus inside the insects.

Surfing champion Andy Irons, who died at the age of 32 in a Dallas hotel room in November, had a heart attack caused by the hardening of his coronary arteries, his family said in a press release. Drugs contributed to the death, a Texas medical examiner determined. Irons had withdrawn from an event in 2010 amid concerns that he and others on the tour contracted dengue fever. He was returning home to Hawaii when he was found dead in an airport hotel while on a layover in Dallas.

A list of upcoming concerts across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater System of a Down, May 25 (Sat.) Gibson Amphitheatre Def Leppard, Sept. 7 (Fri.); Hot 92 Freestyle Explosion with Expose and more, June 11 (Sat.) Hollywood Palladium Above & Beyond, May 14 (Mon.) Greek Theatre Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, May 27; War, May 28; Jethro Tull, June 11; Youssou N'Dour/Angélique Kidjo/Vusi Mahlasela, June 16 (Fri.)

POP MUSIC Dengue Fever The psychedelic rockers with Cambodian flair will provide a live score to the 1925 stop-motion science fiction classic "The Lost World," based on Arthur Conan Doyle's enduring novel. The six-piece's infectious grooves will set a whimsical tone for the onscreen action, which features showdowns between a menagerie of dinosaurs and mythical beasts. Royce Hall, 405 Hilgard Ave., UCLA. 8 p.m. $33, $43, $58. (310) 825-2101. Mayer Hawthorne The Ann Arbor, Mich.

Andy Irons, a renowned surfer and three-time world champion from Hawaii, died Tuesday from complications from an undisclosed illness, the Assn. of Surfing Professionals International said. He was 32. Irons had withdrawn from an ASP World Tour event in Puerto Rico, the Rip Curl Search, over the weekend due to the illness and died "during a layover en route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii," according to an Irons family statement released by the ASP. The statement did not list the exact location or cause of death, but the Associated Press reported that his father, Phil Irons, confirmed the surfer's death.

POP MUSIC Check out the fiery rock 'n' roll of Mexican alt-rock band Jaguares as it takes to the stage with Los Cenzontles for two nights in Anaheim. The band has gained an impressive following in the States, partly due to its social conscience. In 2007 it participated in an Amnesty International campaign to help alleviate suffering in Darfur. The House of Blues, 1530 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim. 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. $55. (714) 778-2583. Also Sun. at House of Blues, West Hollywood.

Crustacean connoisseurs have a full weekend to consider the lobster — as well as live music, dancing, street performers, pirates and shopping — at the annual Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival. A meal with fresh lobster flown in from Maine and all the fixings runs $18. Featured musical acts include Saint Motel, Dengue Fever, plus John Doe and Exene Cervenka of the band X. Ports O' Call Village, 1190 Nagoya Way, San Pedro. 5-11 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun. $9 for adults, free for children younger than 12. (310)

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, with Dengue Fever When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Grand Performances stage, 300-350 S. Grand Ave. Price: Free Info: (213) 687-2159, http://www.grandperformances.org