UW News

Marissa Childs

November 3, 2025

UW-led study links wildfire smoke to increased odds of preterm birth

A thin haze of wildfire smoke covers downtown Seattle.

In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

September 12, 2025

Warming climate drives surge in dengue fever cases

A person uses a handheld device to spread anti-mosquito fog across a dark street. The thick fog fills the street.

Dengue fever incidence could rise as much as 76% by 2050 due to climate warming across a large swath of Asia and the Americas, according to a new study.