Mosquito-transmitted diseases are increasingly becoming a threat in the United States, with over a third of the states having already detected the West Nile virus this year.
As of June 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed seven cases of West Nile virus in humans across seven states including Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, mosquitoes, birds, and other animals were found to have been affected by the virus as well.
According to NBC News, some of the individuals affected by the virus experienced severe symptoms, such as inflammation of the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This could result in disorientation, vision loss, coma, or paralysis, and in rare cases, it can even be fatal.
It is important to note that the majority of individuals who contract the infection do not exhibit any symptoms. However, some may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, joint pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. In the United States, hundreds to thousands of cases are recorded annually. However, this current outbreak is notable as it began earlier than usual, possibly due to rising global temperatures.
According to the CDC’s press officer, Kate Fowlie, the behavior of WNV tends to be unpredictable and can differ from year to year. As such, it is challenging to determine how this year’s situation will compare to previous years.
As the temperature rises, the likelihood of mosquito habitats increases. These pesky insects thrive in warm weather, allowing them to breed quicker, bite more frequently, and survive for extended periods of time.
According to Scott Weaver, director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch, many species are showing a noticeable trend of earlier population growth compared to previous decades.
The prevalence of dengue, another disease transmitted by mosquitoes, has also been facilitated by these conditions. Recently, the CDC released a health advisory in late June, cautioning about the elevated likelihood of dengue fever cases in the United States. The number of cases is expected to exceed those of the previous year.
This year, there have been 2,241 reported cases of the disease so far, with the majority being in Puerto Rico. In fact, the Puerto Rican authorities declared a health emergency back in March due to the unprecedented amount of cases. To put things into perspective, last year the entire country only saw just over 3,000 reported cases.
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Health care providers should be more vigilant in suspecting dengue when treating individuals with fever, particularly if they are from regions with frequent transmission. To better diagnose cases, the CDC is enhancing and broadening laboratory testing capabilities while also promoting awareness of the disease and prevention techniques to the public.