|
Mosquito Related Diseases - What You Must Know |
|
|
|
|
Written by Antigone Arthur
|
|
Wednesday, 21 June 2006 |
 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.
About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of
professional experience providing consumers with informative articles
on such topics as mosquito control products, mosquito related diseases,
and insect control.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Antigone_Arthur
Trackback(0)
 |
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 June 2006 )
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
