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Mosquito-borne diseases are among the most complex of all infectious diseases to prevent and control. The list of diseases includes Malaria, Dengue, LaCrosse Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Chikungunya and West Nile Virus (WNv).
More than 30,000 people in the United States have gotten West Nile virus disease since 1999, and of those, almost 13,000 have been seriously ill and over 1,200 have died. Many more cases of illness are not reported to CDC, but it's likely that more than 300,000 people from almost every state have been sickened in the 12 years since WNv came to the U.S. [i]
LaCrosse can occur in all age groups; however severe disease occurs most often in children under the age of 16. In rare cases, long-term disability or death can result from La Crosse encephalitis.
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare illness in humans, and only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. However, it is one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the U.S. with approximately 33% mortality and significant brain damage in most survivors.[ii] While we have not had a case in Indiana as of yet, it has occurred in southern Michigan.
Chikungunya commonly occurs in Africa, Southern Europe, Southeast Asia, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However in late 2013, chikungunya was found for the first time in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean. From 2006-2013, studies identified an average of 28 people per year in the U.S. with chikungunya virus. Beginning in 2014, 497 cases have been identified in the U.S. in travelers returning from the Caribbean. This infection results in fever and severe joint pain that can relapse.
For most of these viral illnesses, there is no treatment and prevention is key. With the exception of malaria, mosquito repellent is the only true prevention measure.
[i] http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WestNileVirus/
[ii] http://www.cdc.gov/easternequineencephalitis/
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