Diseases from infected mosquitoes, ticks and fleas have tripled in 13 years

(KOTA)
Published: May. 23, 2018 at 12:34 PM CDT
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illnesses from Mosquito, Tick and flea bites increasing in the United States

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bites from these insects have tripled in the nation with more then 640,000 cases reported between 2004 through 2016.

Nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks were discovered or introduced into the United States during this time.

"Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea—have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don't know what will threaten Americans next," said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. "Our Nation's first lines of defense are state and local health departments and vector control organizations, and we must continue to enhance our investment in their ability to fight against these diseases."

Widespread and difficult to control, diseases from mosquito, tick, and flea bites are major causes of sickness and death worldwide. The growing number and spread of these diseases pose an increasing risk in the U.S. The report found that the nation needs to be better prepared to face this public health threat.

CDC scientists analyzed data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for 16 notifiable vector-borne diseases from 2004 through 2016 to identify trends. Many infections are not reported or recognized, so it is difficult to truly estimate the overall cost and burden of these diseases. In 2016, the most common tick-borne diseases in the U.S. were Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis. The most common mosquito-borne viruses were West Nile, dengue, and Zika. Though rare, plague was the most common disease resulting from the bite of an infected flea.

Here in Rapid City, crews from Parks and Recreation and the Public Works division are getting a jump on mosquito season.

With all the recent rain, crews are deploying larvicide briquettes to areas that usually hold standing or runoff water this time of year.

The briquettes last 120 days in standing water and are a proactive approach to control mosquitoes before they hatch. The city still has plans for a fogging route and will fog in an area on a complaint basis.

"Our best effort is to do that route and to try go get them before they hatch because after they hatch..." said Parks Division Manger Scott Anderson, "we do have some foggers that we can go out and fog some areas but we found that the larvacide does a lot better than the fogging does."

The increase in diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea in the U.S. is likely due to many factors. Mosquitoes and ticks and the germs they spread are increasing in number and moving into new areas. As a result, more people are at risk for infection. Overseas travel and commerce are more common than ever before. A traveler can be infected with a mosquito-borne disease, like Zika, in one country, and then unknowingly transport it home. Finally, new germs spread by mosquito and tick bites have been discovered and the list of nationally notifiable diseases has grown.

Here in South Dakota, Lyme disease has been identified in five eastern South Dakota counties to date.

Homeowners are encouraged to be proactive as well when it comes to clearing any standing water on their property to help reduce mosquito population.

- Remove all discarded tires on your property. Used tires have become an important source of mosquito breeding in the nation.

- Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors.

- Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.

- Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

- Change the water in birdbaths.

- Clean vegetation and debris from edges of ponds.

- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.

- Drain water from pool covers.

- Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.