August 30, 2024 – Mosquitoes. You're probably conversant in the high-pitched whine that indicates red, itchy welts. These blood-sucking, flying insects are found almost all over the place on the planet, and for those who really need to flee them, there are only two places which can be completely mosquito-free: Antarctica and Iceland.
Most of the 200 species of Mosquitoes that live within the mainland United States and its territories are relatively harmless. But every few years, there are several guys who leave their comfortable, under-the-radar lives and make national headlines.
Take West Nile virus for instance, what sent former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, MD, to the hospital. (He is now home and recovering.) West Nile cases are also increasing in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and this has been the case present in 33 states.
Western Massachusetts health officials are warning residents of certain cities to avoid outdoor activities at dusk and after dark based on two reports Eastern equine encephalitis in humans and two in horses. Cases of the sometimes deadly but rare virus have also been reported in New Hampshire, where one person died from the infection. The sloth fever virus (also often called Oropouche fever virus) has found its approach to Florida and New York, carried by travelers coming back from Cuba and Brazil. Mosquito-borne outbreaks equivalent to dengue, Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya and malaria have also been reported lately.
Short of packing your bags (and parkas) and moving to a freezing climate, what do you want to know and do to maintain yourself protected, not to say sane?
No panic
In the United States and its territories only 6% Mosquitoes are known to spread disease. Mosquitoes turn out to be infected in two ways, with viruses and parasites, said Dr. Stephen Rich, microbiologist, professor and director of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases on the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“In the Northeast they mainly transmit mosquitoes to birds and mosquitoes to birds and don’t feed on mammals very often, so they don’t pose a threat to us. It becomes a problem when they move from this mosquito-bird cycle into mammal populations, particularly humans and horses,” he said.
In contrast, transmission from mosquitoes to humans and from mosquitoes to humans results in malaria, yellow fever and chikungunya, he said. In recent years, a lot of these diseases have been introduced by returning travelers or visitors from countries where these diseases are common, although localized cases have also occurred.
However, the transfer will not be instantaneous; After a mosquito feeds on an infected animal or human, it may take 2 to three weeks for it to spread. And the likelihood of developing an infection after a bite (even from a single infected mosquito) is low. Additionally, it typically takes a while for cases to rise to the purpose where health officials turn out to be concerned.
“We typically see a certain level of infection in mosquitoes before we see cases in humans,” Rich said. “Even if someone is bitten by a mosquito infected with the virus, there is probably a 95 percent chance that the person – even if infected – will have no signs of illness,” he added.
The same applies to West Nile. David Sullivan, MD, an infectious disease physician and professor of molecular microbiology and immunology on the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said that of the roughly “10,000 cases per year, about 80% are unaffected are”. diagnosed. There are plenty of asymptomatic people.”
Sullivan compared the likelihood of getting West Nile virus to the likelihood of being struck by lightning (which the CDC classifies as such). less than 1 in 1,000,000 per 12 months).
How likely are you to get sick?
Most of those cases “are usually self-limited and do not have particularly identifiable features,” said Paul Auwaerter, MD, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine Baltimore. “They are all the same: fever, muscle aches, headaches, malaise, aching joints,” he said.
One disease that particularly goes under the radar is La Crosse encephalitis, which, in response to Dr. Brian Byrd occurs primarily in children and could be very local. Byrd, an entomologist and professor of environmental health at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., said 80% of cases within the last 20 years have occurred in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia.
“It is persistent and every year we have sick children; “Most parents don’t know until their child gets sick,” he said.
This will not be to say that every one mosquito-borne diseases are harmless; It could cause serious illness, everlasting neurological damage, and even death, especially in older adults, who usually tend to develop severe Eastern equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis. (However, Sullivan noted that children under 18 account for no less than 20% of severe cases of eastern equine encephalitis). Pregnant women and girls considering pregnancy also needs to be vigilant; Both Zika and Oropouche fever viruses have been related to poor pregnancy and fetal outcomes.
Ultimately, the very best advice is to listen to how sick you are feeling. “Anyone who feels very ill and has a high fever (above 103°F) and especially behavioral changes [for example, not thinking properly or having a very severe headache] should seek treatment,” said Auwerter.
Prevention is essential
Mosquito-borne viruses usually are not a brand new phenomenon, particularly within the continental United States. “We are seeing a reemergence of problems that had disappeared,” Auwaerter said. “Malaria was present in the United States until the 1950s and was only eradicated when the U.S. military used DDT. Until 1906, outbreaks of yellow fever occurred every summer along the East Coast,” he noted.
Nowadays things like climate change (the extended for how long the duration of the mosquito season), seasonal changes within the weather (including more droughts and floods), in addition to expanded detection/advanced technology and mosquito monitoring efforts, reinforce the necessity to remain vigilant and alert. People are traveling more and encountering illnesses that they might bring home with them.
Fortunately, while there isn't any cure for mosquito-borne diseases, there's may be prevented, particularly during peak times of the 12 months when mosquitoes are present and at times of day (twilight and darkness) after they wish to feed. “Most people don't want to live in a bubble, but rather get outside and enjoy themselves, especially in the summer months,” said Carla McWilliams, MD, division chief of infectious diseases on the Florida Region of the Cleveland Clinic. “You just have to do it in a smart way.”
Like other experts, McWilliams pointed to 3 foremost measures:
- A dress. To reduce the chance of mosquito bites, cover exposed skin with long-sleeved clothing and pants. Clothing treated with the insecticide permethrin prevents bites and repels mosquitoes.
- drain. If possible, remove standing water out of your property. Empty saucers from outdoor flower pots and repair cracks in pipes or septic systems. Unblock gutters and drainpipes and be certain that rain barrels are covered as much as possible.
- Defend. Apply repellents equivalent to DEET, the DEET alternative Icaridin (Picaridin), or lemon eucalyptus oil. The Environmental Protection Agency provides a searchable tool Search his website to search out a protected mosquito repellent for you and your loved ones based on the ingredient, age, and length of time you would like protection (all day or an hour or two for gardening or a picnic).
Finally, don't hit the panic button. As Rich aptly noted, “the probability of finding a virus in a single mosquito is infinitesimal.”