What Diseases Do Mosquitoes Carry?
Could A Mosquito Bite Make You Sick?
The mosquito is considered by many to be the most dangerous creature on the planet. These annoying little pests are directly connected to over a million deaths, worldwide, every year. But are they really a threat here in the United States? We've compiled this list of 6 mosquito-borne illnesses that may make you think twice about letting a mosquito bite you.
West Nile Virus
Symptoms: fever, headache, body pain, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. Severe symptoms can include sleepiness, stiff neck, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis.
Vector: This is a flavivirus that uses some birds and Aedes mosquitoes as a vector.
Zika Virus
This virus gets its name from the location in central Africa where it was first documented. Since its discovery off the coast of South America in 2014, it has been found in 35 countries throughout the Americas. As of July 2016, there have been over 400 cases of travel-related Zika in the United States. But no cases of local transmission.
Symptoms: Zika is a virus that has been proven to cause microcephaly in unborn children at all stages of pregnancy. This is a congenital birth defect that is characterized by small head size and brain damage.
Vector: There are only two mosquito species in the U.S. that are known to carry Zika virus: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
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Chikungunya
This is a viral pathogen that is rarely fatal, but often excruciatingly painful, as it attacks the joints in the body. There is no vaccination for this virus. Symptoms must be managed with pain medication. Outbreaks of this virus have occurred in Florida.
Symptoms: Fever, joint pain, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rash.
Vector: Primary vector is Aedes aegypti, but Aedes albopictus is also known to carry this virus.
Dengue
This virus is believed to infect as many as 100 million people worldwide every year but rarely occurs in the United State, according to the CDC. It is believed that ongoing mosquito abatement is responsible for the inability of this virus to maintain a vector. But transmission of dengue is widespread through many countries that border the United States. Most cases of U.S. citizens occur in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Samoa, and Guam.
Symptoms: Headache, fever, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, and rash.
Vector: The main vector for this virus is Aedes aegypti, but it can be spread by Aedes albopictus as well. While albopictus is can spread the disease, it is not efficient and is not linked to major outbreaks of the disease.
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