Discovery Sounds the Alarm on the Risk for the Next Worldwide Pandemic with Global Premiere of MOSQUITO on July 6
On July 6th, the Discovery Channel?s MOSQUITO reveals the dangers of the world's most deadliest creature to humans. As we've been covering the threats of mosquito-borne diseases for years, we could not pass up this opportunity during Mosquito Control Awareness Week to bring this extraordinary film to our community's attention.
Jeremy Renner will narrate a Discovery Channel documentary about mosquitoes and the global threat they pose.
Additionally, Bill Gates will give a rare one-on-one doc interview in the Discovery Impact film, titled Mosquito, which debuts at 9 p.m. July 6 on Discovery Channel and Discovery networks around the world.
Discovery says the film will focus on the insect, which it calls "the single greatest agent of death in modern human history," and the "increasing global threat this tiny animal poses and the potential lethal ramifications without a worldwide coordinated effort."
It will spotlight the global crisis related to recent outbreaks of diseases such as Zika, malaria, West Nile virus, Yellow Fever, chikungunya and dengue, and how the accelerating expansion of mosquitos' presence around the world - due to increasing global travel and trade and a warmer world more hospitable to the insect - is contributing to those outbreaks.
The film also will feature interviews with leading experts, including former CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden and Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who says that the resources needed to fight an outbreak relative to the level of death that could result from a fatal pandemic makes this a global health priority.
"For more than 30 years, Discovery's mission has been to ignite viewers' curiosity, spark dialogue and encourage action on critical topics through our world-class storytelling and brands across 220 countries," said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications. "Mosquitosounds a worldwide alarm about the need for bold steps to address this increasingly urgent threat. As a purpose-driven company, we are proud to leverage the strength of our unmatched television and digital services in all corners of the globe to call on citizens and worldwide leaders alike to act."
Added Rich Ross, group president at Discovery, Animal Planet, Science Channel and Velocity: "Discovery is at its best taking a global problem and showcasing its effects on individuals and their local communities. The spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in places they have never been has the potential to change the world as we know it. Mosquito shines a spotlight on this rapidly moving issue, giving audiences the tools to understand and prepare for a new world."