New Mosquito-borne Virus – Chikungunya

two species of mosquitoes, A. albopictus and A. aegypti, that are extrinsic hosts (vectors) of chikungunya virus.

If you’ve been outside at all this summer, chances are you’ve had to swing at a mosquito or two. At this point, you’re probably aware of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and Yellow Fever; but chances you haven’t heard of Chikungunya. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus. It causes an illness with an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint paints in the extremities; this pain my persist for years in some cases.

Chikungunya is transmitted similarly to dengue fever. The virus is transmitted to humans via virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes. Specifically two species: A. albopictus and A. aegypti, that are extrinsic hosts (vectors) of chikungunya. Health officials are on high alert as mosquito populations are recording at an all time high.

What should I look out for?

A bite by a virus-carrying mosquito can cause fever, rash and severe joint pain. Symptoms typically start a few days after the initial bite and can last for months. In may, health officials deemed chikungunya an epidemic in the carribean and as a result health officials are concerned it can lead to more cases in the states.

The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control and in addition, the avoidance of bites by any infected mosquitoes.

The best protection is prevention

The best protection is prevention. If you are going to be outdoors you should limit your exposure to potential virus-carrying mosquitoes. health officials encourage people to wear long sleeves and pants when at all possible.

Don’t let your property be a breeding site

Most homeowners aren’t even aware their property can be a safe-haven and breeding location for virus-carrying mosquitoes. If you own a home or have land you must do your due diligence and walk the property. Mosquitoes need standing water to breed. Homeowners are often unwittingly hatching armies of breeding mosquitoes and they don’t even realize it. It’s highly recommending to perform a walk through of the property at least once a week to rid any conducive hatching grounds for mosquitoes to breed.

Simple measure can go a long way for protection

It’s really quite simple to be proactive and prevent mosquitoes. Simple measure can go a long way in the prevention of mosquito bites. Spraying and applying mosquito repellent is a must-repellents containing 30-50% of the chemical Deet are effective for several hours. There are other things homeowners can do to prevent mosquitoes from coming inside too. Something as simple as repairing window and screen doors should be done to prevent them from coming inside.

Enjoy the rest of your summer – just use the right precautions. Don’t be afraid to try some of the new mosquito repelling applications on your iPhone or Android device. To be honest, you almost want to be as much of a pest as they are. The key and the goal should be to annoy mosquitoes, and you can do that by raking up grass clippings, changing the water in bird feeders, emptying water in plant dishes and filling places in your yard where puddles consistently form when it rains.

Be performing some of these simple measures to annoy mosquitoes, the rest of your summer should reduce the population of mosquitoes. For professional help talk to Green Lawn Fertilizing or Green Pest Solutions and ask about our 6-step mosquito control program.