University of Connecticut researchers reported in Current Biology that abnormal breathing episodes in Rett syndrome are caused by a dopamine deficit in the carotid body. ^[1] In 2026, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture issued a reminder to horse and livestock owners to take preventive measures against mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). ^[2] Dan Mulkey, a neurophysiologist at UConn, stated that the loss of dopamine inhibition in the carotid body means the breathing system is 'driving without brakes'. ^[3] Monica Strain, a neurophysiologist at Boston Children's Hospital, led the research using a mouse model lacking the MECP2 gene to study breathing patterns. ^[4] Treatment with pramipexole, a drug typically used to treat Parkinson's disease, helped normalize breathing in MECP2-deficient mice. ^[5] The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported in 2026 that it had detected an increase in West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes in recent weeks. ^[6]