At Vox’s climate desk, we’ve spent the past few months digging into a threat that’s easy to swat away in the moment — but increasingly harder to escape: the rise of mosquito and other vector-borne diseases in the United States.

Most of us think of mosquitoes as little more than a summer nuisance. But climate change, urban sprawl, and global travel are reshaping their reach — and the range of the diseases they carry. Already, West Nile is entrenched across much of the country. Dengue, chikungunya, and even malaria are beginning to take root again. And now, another menace may be on the way: The Oropouche virus, once confined to the Amazon, is spreading in cities across South America and has already appeared in travelers returning to the US.

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