News-Medical.net, Nov. 18, 2007 According to researchers at UTMB, there's one more reason to try to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, scientists have discovered bites from mosquitoes that aren't infected by the West Nile virus may make the disease worse in people who acquire it later from West Nile-infected mosquitoes. The effect is induced by mosquito saliva, according to professor Stephen Higgs, one of the paper's senior authors. Also quoted is Dr. Lynn Soong, also a senior author of the paper.