By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — In its brief lifespan, the mosquito that carries the Zika virus is caught in a race: Will it pass the disease to humans before it dies?

Weather might make the difference. Scientists say the hotter it gets, the more likely the insect can spread disease.

By Lydia O'Connor

The factors leading to the current Zika outbreak won't be clear for some time, but environmental health experts say there's a good chance such infectious diseases will become more common as the global climate warms.

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Every year, millions of kids and teenagers die around the world, often from preventable and treatable conditions. It is a troubling statistic. But if you look beneath the surface numbers, you'll find signs of hope, says Theo Vos, a professor of global health at the University of Washington in Seattle.

By Bobbi Nodell, Health Sciences NewsBeat

UW professor of global health Kristie Ebi has attended United Nations climate-change conferences since 2000. The agreement reached at the Paris conference in December, she said, was nothing short of monumental.

“It showed that world governments agree climate change is a serious problem and they are committed to addressing it,” Ebi said. She’s an expert on the health risks of climate change and how humans adapt to it. She addressed conference attendees on Dec. 5 and 11.