Current:Home > FinanceEEE, West Nile, malaria: Know the difference between these mosquito-borne diseases-InfoLens
EEE, West Nile, malaria: Know the difference between these mosquito-borne diseases
View Date:2024-12-23 12:36:20
The world’s deadliest animal can be squashed flat with a quick slap: It’s the mosquito.
The buzzing insects are more than annoying — they spread disease. When they bite and drink blood from a person or animal they can pick up viruses or germs too. If they can go on to bite someone or something else, they deposit the germ right under the skin.
People in some areas of Massachusetts have been warned to stay indoors when mosquitoes are most active after a rare case of eastern equine encephalitis was discovered. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former top U.S. infectious disease expert, was recently hospitalized after he came down with West Nile virus.
Both are nasty diseases spread by mosquitoes — though thankfully they are relatively rare.
The best way to avoid getting sick is of course to avoid getting bitten, which means taking steps like using repellent, wearing clothing with long sleeves and long pants and staying indoors when the mosquitoes are out. Local health departments also work to reduce mosquito numbers, including spraying neighborhoods with insecticide. Authorities in Massachusetts are using trucks and planes this week to spray vulnerable areas.
Here’s a look at some common — and not so common — mosquito-borne diseases.
Eastern equine encephalitis
Most people infected with eastern equine encephalitis don’t develop symptoms, but some can come down with fever or swelling of the brain and about one third of people infected die. There have been three cases of eastern equine encephalitis in the U.S. this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one each in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont. The worst year for the disease was 2019, with 38 cases. It is caused by a virus and is not very common around the world. The virus typically spreads in certain swamps, including red maple and white cedar swamps in Massachusetts.
West Nile virus
About 2 in 10 people infected with West Nile virus develop symptoms, which can include fever and swelling of the brain. About 1 in 10 people who develop severe symptoms die. There have been 216 West Nile cases so far this year. West Nile virus was first reported in the U.S. in 1999 in New York. It gradually spread across the country. In 2003, there were nearly 10,000 cases.
Malaria
Malaria infected nearly 250 million people globally in 2022 and killed more than 600,000, mostly children. It is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes and mainly infects people in tropical regions, especially Africa. A vaccination campaign has been launched in recent months that health officials hope will help reduce cases and deaths.
Dengue
Also known as “break-bone fever” because it can be so painful, dengue is becoming more common. The World Health Organization says that about half the world’s population is at risk of getting the disease, and there are 100 million to 400 million infections every year. Not everyone gets symptoms, which can include fever, severe headaches and pain in the muscles and joints. Most U.S. cases are in people who have traveled to other countries, though the CDC says there have been about 2,600 locally acquired cases so far this year.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (527)
Related
- She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
- John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. What that says about us.
- Lunchables get early dismissal: Kraft Heinz pulls the iconic snack from school lunches
- Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
- Arbitrator upholds 5-year bans of Bad Bunny baseball agency leaders, cuts agent penalty to 3 years
- LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
- Massive dust storm reduces visibility, causes vehicle pileup on central California highway
- To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
- Jennifer Garner Details Navigating Grief 7 Months After Death of Her Dad William Garner
- The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
Ranking
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- Old Navy's Early Black Friday Deals Start at $1.97 -- Get Holiday-Ready Sweaters, Skirts, Puffers & More
- Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
- NBA players express concern for ex-player Kyle Singler after social media post
- Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
- Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
- Darren Criss on why playing a robot in 'Maybe Happy Ending' makes him want to cry
- Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement
Recommendation
-
Fantasy football buy low, sell high: 10 trade targets for Week 11
-
Daniele Rustioni to become Metropolitan Opera’s principal guest conductor
-
Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
-
3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
-
Satire publication The Onion acquires Alex Jones' Infowars at auction
-
Just Eat Takeaway sells Grubhub for $650 million, just 3 years after buying the app for $7.3 billion
-
Mark Zuckerberg Records NSFW Song Get Low for Priscilla Chan on Anniversary
-
Wildfires burn on both coasts. Is climate change to blame?