
No medications are available to treat the many viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. A dengue outbreak in Hawaii has affected hundreds of people since late 2015.

West Nile can become serious or even deadly for about 1 in 150 infected people.Īnother virus, called dengue, is one of the most common causes of mosquito-borne disease worldwide. Roughly 1 in 5 infected people have relatively mild symptoms, such as fever, headache, or nausea. Most people with West Nile infections have no symptoms. In 2015, more than 2,000 cases of West Nile disease arose nationwide, and the virus was blamed for nearly 120 deaths. It flares up in late spring or early summer and continues into the fall. West Nile tends to be a seasonal epidemic in the U.S. “Right now, I’d say West Nile virus is the biggest problem in the continental United States.” Scott, an expert on insect-borne diseases at the University of California, Davis. “But we’ve always had a variety of mosquito-borne pathogens in the U.S.

Most mosquito-related deaths and illnesses occur outside the U.S., mainly in Africa. By comparison, snakes kill about 50,000 tapeworms about 2,000 and sharks only about 10 people per year across the globe. Mosquito-related illnesses kill about 725,000 people worldwide each year. Some experts call mosquitoes the world’s most deadly animal. The diseases spread by mosquito bites can be serious. might enter your blood during the bite and make you sick. But if the mosquito is carrying certain germs, like viruses or parasites, these pathogens Viruses, bacteria, or other germs that can cause disease. The itchy bumps often last for just a day or 2 after a mosquito has punctured your skin. Most mosquito bites are relatively harmless. And we can all take simple steps to avoid getting bit by those blood-sucking insects. NIH-funded scientists are working to find better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.
Davis bump box skin#
Their bites not only create itchy red bumps on your skin they also carry the risk of disease. Summer can be a bummer if outdoor fun is interrupted by the irritating buzz of mosquitoes.
