Mosquitoes: Spreaders of Disease

I went through a Facebook list of the most dangerous animals, and mosquitoes were on the list.  More than 700 million people get diseases from mosquitoes annually.  This results in over a million deaths.  Not because they are dangerous of themselves, but because they carry so much disease.  Malaria traditionally has been the most feared disease that the carry.  However, now there are other illnesses to worry about.  These diseases include Zika, Dengue, West Nile, Yellow Fever,  Chikungunya, La Crosse Enchephalitis, Rift Valley Fever, Jamestown Canton Virus, and Snowshoe Hare Virus.  The flier I received form Santa Clara County Vector Control suggests wearing long sleeves when outdoors, apply insect repellent and making sure screens are tight fitting and not in need of repair.  Another important thing is when traveling to areas where malaria is prevalent, sleeping under a screen that has been treated with repellent. 


Another thing to be careful of, is that we are not breeding mosquitoes in our own property.  Mosquitoes can take advantage of even small bodies of water to breed.  The mosquito fish is a good way to rid breeding mosquitoes without using chemicals.