What Are Chikungunya & West Nile Viruses?

Everyone knows that mosquitoes are carriers of disease, but few understand the extent of how dangerous they can be. Research and studies conducted by the CDC over the past few years have resulted in some alarming findings. Mosquitoes are known to transfer a number of viruses, including West Nile, Chikungunya, Hepatitis, and a host of others.

As science learns more about mosquitoes, and global travel to regions where people carry several diseases continues to climb, the threat of mosquitoes has become all too real for people everywhere.

What are the West Nile and Chikungunya viruses?

More than 2 billion people in over 100 countries have been exposed at some level to diseases spread by mosquitoes. West Nile and Chikungunya in particular spread so rapidly that it’s almost impossible to contain them. Some of the main facts about these diseases include:

• At first, many people don’t tend to show symptoms, as the levels of disease are kept just below the point where they would be apparent to the individual. 
• However, the diseases tend to be prevalent enough in hosts that they are re-transmitted when mosquitoes that haven’t been exposed attempt to make a meal of contaminated individuals. 
• The symptoms of fever are common enough that it can be hard to pinpoint what is the cause without blood work, but the viruses do tend to show up when people are tested, especially in the summer.

Preventing mosquito-borne diseases while traveling

If you are traveling to an area where mosquitoes are known to be a problem, it’s important to take precautions. If you are visiting a spot that has standing or stagnant water, it’s important to be extremely cautious. Humid places with sources of water provide breeding ground for mosquitoes. In warm areas with lots of people, such as the Caribbean, there’s a strong chance that diseases are likely to spread from bites, so be especially careful when you are outdoors.

Further information on disease-spreading mosquitoes

Bottom line: Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance. Being bitten by a mosquito, especially in areas where these dangerous diseases are present, can be dangerous. If you believe that you are going to be in an area where mosquito populations are high, you can’t be too careful. If you’re wary about mosquitoes, the experts at Springer Professional Home Services are happy to help.