You are in bed one night and you hear something that makes you groan. The dreaded buzzing of a mosquito. Not only can bites be incredibly annoying with their itchy bites, but they can actually kill you if you are not careful.
Mosquitoes have a unique ability to carry many of the most vicious and nasty diseases without actually being effected. Instead, they inject you with them. This occurs when the mosquito pierces your skin and injects saliva that numbs the bite area.
Malaria is probably the illness most associated with mosquitoes. Malaria is a prevalent in Asia, Africa and South America although it can be found in other areas of the world as well. As many as 300 million people catch it from mosquitoes a year.
Malaria is caused by a parasite. When a bite occurs, it heads to the liver and then reproduces. In good cases, it causes fatigue, expulsions, shakes, fever, and general misery. Dehydration is a major problem and death can occur.
While Malaria is miserable, it can't shake a stick at Dengue Fever. Spread by mosquitoes throughout Asia and Africa, this fever causes horrific symptoms and, in worst case situations, the most miserable of deaths.
Dengue Fever is a virus that is brutal. After the mosquito bite, it begins replicating resulting in high fever, shakes and general misery. In bad cases, the patient literally bleeds to death through orifices including the ears and eyes.
Encephalitis is our next mosquito borne horror. A virus input through the mosquito bite, it cause swelling in the brain. The brain literally tries to swell beyond the skull. It can't and brain damage and death can result.
Yellow Fever is another doozy transported by mosquitoes. For most people, this viral infection plays out like food poising. For roughly fifteen percent, it is much, much worse than basically anyone would want to imagine.
For the unlucky people that fall within this percentage, Yellow Fever is horrific. High temperatures do not go away. The body literally turns yellow and you bleed from orifices including the eyes. Half of those with this version die within two weeks.
The list of horrific diseases spread by mosquitoes is practically endless. There are few cures. To fight back, the only really effective strategy has been to go after mosquitoes. As long as the effort is consistent, it has been shown to work.
Locally, you can do something to protect yourself. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Make sure there is none around you. If they can't breed, they can't spread disease.
About the Author:
John Grimmes is with All Terrain - natural products for the outdoor lifestyle including insect repellent, natural remedies, kids outdoors protection and more.
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