Mosquito Diseases: Frequently Asked Questions

It has been found that mosquitoes spread the diseases that it carries through a cycle. The cycle is known as the mosquito/bird cycle. The mosquito and the bird serve as host reservoirs, but humans and animals may be accidental end points. A bird-mosquito cycle keeps the transmission of the diseases going. The infected bird becomes immune in days, but another mosquito may feed on the bird when it is infectious. In the mosquito, the virus increases as much as a million-fold until it becomes a lethal injection. ...

A few years back when Lucky Bamboo was imported from Asia on ship, they were shipped in containers with water. The tiger mosquito eggs were in this water. But due to extreme regulations, Lucky Bamboo is shipped in a gel like substance. Then they are carefully checked and washed several times to make sure no signs of the Tiger mosquito are present. If you are still worried about it, just submerge the plant in warm water.

BCMC conducts mosquito monitoring to try and locate the presence of a mosquito-borne illness before it shows up in humans, horses, pets or livestock. Mosquito Monitoring is the process of collecting adult mosquitoes to be identified, separated and tested. BCMC uses CO2 traps to attract and collect adult female mosquitoes. The trap is made up of a cooler that holds dry ice (with holes in the bottom), a fan and a catch bag. ...

The best way is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. This can be accomplished using personal protection while outdoors when mosquitoes are present. Examples of such protective measures are:

Practice the 5 D's of prevention. The first 2 stand for "Dusk" and Dawn". Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active. The third D stands for "Dress". Cover your skin with clothing. The 4th D stands for "DEET". Use mosquito repellant on bare skin and clothing. The final D stands for "Drainage". Remove standing water in which mosquitoes can lay eggs.

Check on the web at http://www.cdc/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/ or call your local public health office.

SLE, EEE, and WNV pass back and forth between birds and mosquitoes. Mosquito control agencies located throughout the state monitor mosquito populations. When the virus is detected, mosquito control activities are increased. Press releases and public education activities are issued to increase awareness of personal protective measures.

This is very difficult to determine. Currently there are different theories as to the level and amount of climate change. Some models predict large changes in rainfall patterns, while other predict small changes. We may expect with increases in rainfall there would be an increase in mosquito numbers and a subsequent increase in mosquito-borne diseases, however this may not be the case. ...