Skip Navigation Bar

Contact NLM

Mid-Year Changes in MeSH Descriptors

MeSH Descriptors and Qualifers are normally released on an annual basis. Each annual release occurs in mid November of the previous year, and becomes part of PubMed and other data sytems in time for the change in the calender year. For example 2016 MeSH was released in November of 2015.

Additional changes to Descriptors or Qualifiers for the current MeSH year are less common and can occur periodically when needed. When this happens we will update the MeSH release files and list the changes below.

Two new MeSH headings were added as of Jan 28th, 2016

These headings are immediately available by downloading the latest version of 2016 MeSH data.

We created these headings in response to the Zika virus epidemic, which is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread Dengue and Chikungunya viruses.

Aedes mosquito
Aedes mosquito: Pan American Health Organization

Note: current Supplementary Concept Records (SCRs) are regularly updated nightly, on a daily basis, Monday-Thursday, and are not included in any list of mid-year changes.