Mosquitoes are known for the diseases they’ve spread worldwide. Each year, there are more than 700,000 deaths from vector-borne diseases. These diseases have disproportionately affected populations in tropical and subtropical regions, but are a global threat. The most common mosquito-borne diseases are:
- Malaria
- Dengue
- Schistosomiasis
- Chagas Disease
- Yellow Fever
- Zika Virus
- Rift Valley Fever
- West Nile Fever
What Diseases Do Mosquitoes Carry in Southampton?
More than 200 types of mosquitoes are found in the U.S. Of those, only about 12 types are capable of transmitting disease. These outbreaks occur primarily in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the US Virgin Islands. Most cases of malaria reported occur in returned travelers from tropical regions. Most types of mosquitoes we encounter are nuisance mosquitoes that are incapable of transmitting the diseases that make people sick.
Which Mosquitoes Can Transmit Disease?
The three species of mosquitoes that are responsible for spreading diseases are Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes. There are multiple species within these families.
Symptoms of Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Most mosquito bites from nuisance species will result in mild symptoms. So what symptoms alert you that you may be suffering from something more serious? Common symptoms of vector-borne diseases include:
- Sudden High Fever
- Stiff Neck
- Confusion
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Muscle Tremors or Seizures
- Severe Headaches
- Rash
Noticing any of these symptoms from a suspected mosquito bite warrants an immediate trip to your local hospital.
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Can Mosquitoes Transmit HIV or AIDS?
Mosquitoes are infamous for transmitting dangerous diseases – but thankfully, mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV or AIDS. This is due to the fact that mosquitoes are vectors for diseases that they get from biting an infected human or animal. But what happens when a mosquito bites someone who is HIV-positive?
- Mosquitoes are unable to become infected with HIV and thus cannot transmit it.
- A mosquito’s proboscis has two tubes: one to suck blood from its host and the other to inject saliva into the bite. Because only saliva is injected into the host, HIV cannot be transmitted through the bite.
- Even if a mosquito has HIV in its body when it bites a host, there would not be enough to infect. The virus disappears in the mosquito after one or two days.
Do Mosquitoes Transfer Blood?
Although mosquitoes suck blood, they do not inject or circulate it back into you. This is due to their unique proboscis. Made up of two tubes, one tube sends saliva into the host while the other sucks up blood. This two-tube system is also why mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV, which is transmitted through infected blood. Any HIV-positive blood ingested by a mosquito is thus impossible to transmit to another host.
How Long Does HIV Live in a Mosquito?
When a mosquito bites an HIV-positive individual, the virus will disappear in just one to two days, which is the time required for a mosquito to digest the blood. This is because HIV is unable to replicate within the mosquito’s gut, unlike humans, in which HIV binds to T cells. It is during the mosquito’s digestion process that any HIV ingested is completely destroyed.
What to Do About Mosquitoes With HIV
Bottom line: you do not need to worry about mosquitoes transmitting HIV. Research has proven that an individual would have to be bitten by 10 million mosquitoes that all had been feeding on an HIV carrier for even a single unit of HIV to be transmitted. When it comes to mosquitoes and diseases, it’s important to focus on the vector-borne diseases they carry and spread.
But if you spot any mosquitoes around your Southampton property – call the local mosquito exterminators, East End Tick & Mosquito Control®, right away.