You're out and about, having fun in the summer. Whether you're hanging out with friends or ​family, you're just having a good time or even relaxing and enjoying the warm days. But then ​you get home and feel an itchy and uncomfortable sensation—it's a mosquito bite, or so you ​think. During the summer and in warmer climates, getting a mosquito bite is at an all-time ​high. Despite calling them mosquito bites, sometimes they come from ticks or fleas. ​Regardless of the culprit, we all hate the itchy and uncomfortable feeling of being bitten. ​These bites can make us sick, giving us something called a vector-borne disease.

What are Vector Borne Diseases?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas that spread ​germs (pathogens) are called vectors. A person who gets bitten by a vector and gets sick ​could have a vector-borne disease, as vectors spread this from one bite to another; even its ​it’s an animal or person. Vector borne diseases make up 17% of all infectious disease causing ​700,000 deaths annually. However, these diseases can be prevented with adequate ​precaution.

How Disasters Influence Vector Borne Diseases?

Although Vectors are most common in warm climates in the summer, there can also be a spike ​with these insects during natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, as they natural ​disasters disrupts the ecosystems which can out animals and even people out of place and ​uncomfortable situations, making it more likely for these vectors to go from an animal then ​human and so forth.

Also, increased humidity and lingering water create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, as ​mosquito larvae and pupae live in water. Even earthquakes can create breeding grounds for ​mosquitoes by disrupting ecosystems and damaging infrastructure. This damage can result ​in stagnant water sources, which are ideal for mosquito breeding.

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Prevention and Preparedness

Having to deal with the combination of an itchy and uncomfortable bite and getting sick from ​it sounds awful, so here’s how you can prevent it from happening to you.

• Try wear long sleeves or covering up with long pants, in the hotter weathers try using ​linen for a light and airy feel so you don’t feel hot while staying covered. Staying covered ​lowers the chance of getting bite.
  

• If your instead of at house check the house for sitting water, like water bowls for pets, ​and dishes as these are breeding grounds.
  

• Apply insect repellent to any exposed skin.
  

Spreading Awareness

Lastly, we should help our friends and family so they don’t have to deal with vectors too! You ​can contribute to your community by assisting with cleaning to reduce the risk of others ​coming into contact with these diseases. Sharing advice and tips that you’ve learned from ​credible sources like the CDC can be a valuable form of community service.

Sources

About vector-borne diseases. (2024, June 26). Vector-Borne Diseases. Sources

CDC. (2020, February 21). Insect repellent safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sources

CDC. (2024, April 20). Where mosquitoes live. CDC.gov. Sources

Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. (n.d.). 2 minute drill for vector-borne diseases. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Sources

Scientific Reports. (2013, November 13). Post-earthquake Zika virus surge: Disaster and public health threat amid climatic conduciveness. Nature.com. Sources

Vector-borne diseases. (2020, March 2). World Health Organization (WHO). Sources

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