One man is recalling a fight for his life that all started with a tiny mosquito.
What is going on?
In 2007, Glendale, Arizona, resident David Hancock began to feel very ill with a sudden fever and vomiting. By the time he got to the hospital, the doctors took 10 days to diagnose him. Meanwhile, he fell into a coma, suffered heart failure, a lung full of fluid, and his brain inflamed.
“I was on the other side, with one foot in the other world,” he told Deutsche Welle, summarizing his experience with the West Nile virus, a disease that can be transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite.
Why is West Nile virus a concern?
While most people who contract West Nile virus never know it, one in five will experience body aches and other flu-like symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Others, like Hancock, suffer far more disturbing results. Each year, more than 1,300 Americans who contract West Nile develop severe disease affecting the central nervous system, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 130 of those end up dying, the agency adds.
Meanwhile, cases of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika are on the rise, as rising global temperatures help mosquitoes move into new territories and lengthen their active seasons. Many American localities experienced increases in the West Nile virus this year: Bell County in Texas reported six positive tests in six weeks, an increase in cases in one part of Utah led to one death, and the number of cases reported across the country in September was 40% higher than usual.
What is being done about mosquito-borne diseases?
One of the most important things anyone can do to avoid getting sick is to prevent mosquito bites. The CDC recommends using insect repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency; wear long, loose clothes when you are outside and treat it with permethrin; and take measures to control mosquitoes inside and outside the home.
Many agencies assist in mosquito control efforts by spraying with local communities when necessary. Some cities and counties are taking a more creative approach to mosquito control, too. For example, one Florida county is using X-rays to sterilize male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This species can carry a number of mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and Zika.
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