Imagine you're out having a blast in the summer, whether it's playing with friends or chilling ​with your family, soaking in the warm sunshine. But when you get back home, you suddenly ​feel itchy and uncomfortable—it's like a mosquito bite, right? Well, during summer and in ​places where it's warm, lots of bugs like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas love to nibble on us. Even ​though we call them mosquito bites, sometimes they can come from ticks or fleas too! No ​matter where they come from, these bites can make us feel sick. They can even give us ​something called a vector-borne disease.

What are Vector Borne Diseases?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas are like tiny ​bugs that carry germs, which are tiny things that can make us sick. When these bugs bite us, ​they can pass on these germs, causing what we call a vector-borne disease. It's like passing a ​ball from one friend to another! These diseases make up 17% of all sicknesses that spread ​around, and they can even cause 700,000 deaths each year. But we can stay safe and stop ​these germs from spreading by being careful and taking the right steps!

How Disasters Influence Vector Borne Diseases?

Vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas are most common in warm places during the ​summer. But did you know they can also show up more after big storms like floods or ​hurricanes? These storms mess up nature, moving animals and people to new and ​uncomfortable places. That makes it easier for these bugs to bite animals and then move on to ​bite us humans, spreading sickness.

When earthquakes happen, they can be another example of how disasters affect diseases ​spread by insects. The shaking can break up the ground, roads, and buildings, even damaging ​pipes and structures. This damage can create puddles in low places or holes where water ​collects and stays still. This stagnant water doesn't move or flow. It's a perfect place for​ mosquitoes to lay their eggs. More mosquitoes mean more chances for them to spread ​diseases to us.

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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 inside, check the house for sitting water, like water bowls for pets, as these are ​breeding grounds.
  

• Apply insect repellent to any exposed skin.
  

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