Aside from being pesky creatures (I just got bit on the forehead) mosquitoes tend to carry various diseases that are unwelcome at best. Most of use are familiar with West Nile Virus, the most recently reported mosquito carrying disease. There are numerous other diseases that mosquitoes carry however, which we'll cover in greater detail below.



Dengue Fever

Dengue fever actually comes from four different viruses. Typically Aedes mosquitos carry this form of infection. With Dengue fever, a vicious cycle occurs when a mosquito bites an infected person, then becomes infected, and bites more people. Dengue fever is typically characterized by symptoms like severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting and pains in the joints or bones. Some may mistake Dengue fever for a bad case of the flu. The treatment similarly is lots of rest and fluids. In some cases your doctor may prescribe drugs to bring your fever down. Usually patients recover within two weeks.

Malaria

Malaria is a well known mosquito born illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Patients with malaria may also mistake their symptoms for flu symptoms. Unfortunately if not treated, malaria can lead to other illnesses including anemia and jaundice. Once bitten it may take several weeks before a patient begins exhibiting symptoms, thus this is one mosquito born illness that is difficult to diagnose. Malaria is most often associated with traveling to foreign countries with large populations of Aedes mosquitoes. Fortunately there are many treatment choices for patients with malaria. There are also preventive treatments a patient can take. These include:

Chloroquine - Travelers should consider taking this pill starting two weeks prior to travel and for four weeks after travel if going to malaria infested areas.

Doxycycline - This treatment starts two days before departure and may be continued for up to 4 weeks upon return home.

Unfortunately malaria is a very severe and insidious disease. Even after recovering some patients may find their symptoms return several months or years after treatment.

Viral Encephalitis

Viral encephalitis is a serious disease that results in brain inflammation. There are multiple causes, though many people with this disease get it from an insect bite (usually a mosquito bite). Fortunately most patients that contract viral encephalitis recover fine, but recovery often takes an extended period of time. There is some risk of permanent injury from the disease as well. In rare circumstances viral encephalitis can cause death.

West Nile encephalitis is just one form of viral encephalitis. It is more common in areas like the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus has recently invaded the shores of the United States. The symptoms are also flu-like and may include muscle and joint aches and pains, headaches, rashes and fevers. At this time there is no cure for West Nile disease, though patients usually recover in one to several weeks. Some people are not affected as badly as others. West Nile is particularly risky for those with compromised immune symptoms. Severe reactions to the disease may include paralysis and encephalitis.

Protecting Yourself From Mosquito Born Diseases

While most of this information sounds pretty terrible (that's because it is) the good news is you can largely protect yourself from mosquito bites. While you may not be able to prevent every bite, you can reduce the risk for contracting a mosquito born illness.

Common preventive measures include:

Using chemical repellants or insecticides to keep mosquitoes in your yard at bay.

Use of a mosquito repellant containing DEET. There are family formulas that contain less DEET that are safe to use on young children.

Wearing long pants and sleeves when out in mosquito infested areas. Mosquitoes are also more common at dusk, thus it is a good idea to wear long sleeved items and spray your clothes when out in this environment.

Use of citronella candles and other natural insect repellants.

Keep grass trimmed short to deter mosquitoes.

Avoid allowing any water to stand for more than a day in your yard or around your house, as mosquitoes tend to breed in standing water.

You'll probably find a combination of these strategies works best to keep mosquitoes from harming you and your family.