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Most parts of the Mountain West didn’t see as many days with mosquitoes last year. But when it comes to diseases, the public might not be out of the woods yet.

Most attempts at a malaria vaccine have unsuccessfully tried to keep the parasite from breaking into red blood cells. But a new twist that keeps the parasite from escaping the cells may work better.

The $31.3 billion given by wealthy nations, aid groups, charities, large foundations and others in 2013 reflects the shifting mix of donors backing international health projects, an analysis suggests.

Scientists have figured out how DEET repels mosquitoes. The finding has led the researchers to candidate repellents that are safer and cheaper than DEET and may provide new weapons against mosquito-borne scourges, such as malaria and dengue fever.

Pockets of malaria that are resistant to the frontline drug have recently emerged in Southeast Asia. Health workers worry the problem could spread to Africa. To stay ahead of the parasite, scientists have developed a fast way to detect resistant malaria and map its spread through a community.

In a preliminary study, a new type of vaccine offers strong protection against malaria when given at high doses. The study was extremely small and short-term. But health leaders say they are cautiously optimistic about the approach.

Scientists used a Dutch woman's dirty stocking to learn that mosquitoes infected with malaria find humans hard to resist. Like a fungus that turns ants into zombies, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the mosquitoes for its own benefit.

Infecting mosquitoes with a specific type of bacteria makes the insects resistant to malaria. Now scientists have figured out how to get the mosquitoes to pass the infections on to their offspring. If it can done reliably, it might help interrupt transmission of malaria to humans.

The relatively scarce "sweet wormwood" plant has long been the only source of the herbal drug artemisinin. A new trick for making artemisinin in the lab should help even out supplies around the world, scientists say, and cut the cost of malaria treatment.

Money to fight HIV and tuberculosis worldwide went through a huge growth in the early 2000s. But donations have plateaued in the past few years, economists say, as governments tighten their budgets. The U.S. is still the biggest contributor to global health, giving about $10 billion in 2010.