Summer is the time of the year that most people get excited to travel, to enjoy the beach or to simply cherish what the season has to offer. However, summertime is also associated with the mosquito season, where swarm of pesky mosquitoes usually thrive and mosquito-borne infections like West Nile and Zika viruses increase.
It is not surprising to hear that mosquitoes could be an irritation during the summer season. As a matter of fact, there are 176 known mosquito species in the United States and over a thousand Americans suffer serious illness or death associated with a mosquito bite annually, as Parent Herald previously noted.
With that said, public health experts are incessantly warning the public regarding the burgeoning cases of serious mosquito-borne illnesses including West Nile and Zika viruses, which are currently considered as a public health threat and national priority in the United States. But really should the public know about Zika and West Nile viruses?
Even though Zika and West Nile viruses have similar classification (under flaviviruses), symptoms and origins, the two viruses also have significant differences that make them notably distinct. According to Medical Daily, there are only two mosquito species that can spread Zika virus, which the World Health Organization recently declared as an international public health emergency.
The West Nile virus, on the other hand, is reportedly carried by almost 65 mosquito species, National Geographic revealed. In addition, it is already a given fact that both viruses have non-human hosts but they aren't the same as Zika is known to infect non-human primates while West Nile has birds as its host.
Another striking difference between Zika and West Nile viruses is its route of transmission. While both can be spread through mosquito bites and from mother to child during pregnancy, West Nile virus can't be transmitted through sexual intercourse but Zika virus can.
West Nile virus can also be transmitted from mother to child by breastfeeding, as per the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (via Live Science). However, the route of transmission through breast milk has yet to be documented with Zika virus.
In terms of symptoms, both Zika and West Nile viruses have notable similarities as well as remarkable differences. For symptomatic patients, both viruses cause fever, tiredness, headaches and body aches.
Moreover, Zika virus can also be characterized by a large rash and red bloodshot eyes, which are less common or absent in West Nile virus infections. Although rare, West Nile virus can be characterized by serious complications as it can affect the nervous system.
That's why, West Nile virus has been linked to diseases including meningitis and encephalitis. But severe cases of West Nile virus infections can be life-threatening as it has been linked to cause muscle weakness, long-lasting paralysis that resembles polio, confusion or inability to think clearly and loss of consciousness or coma.
As for Zika virus, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the illness is typically mild and most infected individuals don't get really sick and deaths are rare. Unfortunately, the virus has been associated to severe fetal brain defects such as microcephaly during pregnancy and has been believed to cause other neurological complications and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
As of writing, no vaccines or cure for either West Nile virus or Zika virus are available. But by using insect repellents, covering exposed skin and destroying the breeding grounds of mosquitoes can be helpful in preventing mosquito-borne infections.
Meanwhile, as the United States continues to deal with the issues surrounding the threats of Zika and West Nile viruses in the nation, more efforts are needed to fight the world's deadliest creature - the mosquitoes. As a matter of fact, mosquitoes cause at least 536,000 deaths annually, Huffington Post learned.
Despite the fact that mosquito-borne illnesses don't often cause death, it undeniably and disproportionately affect the poverty-stricken communities. Hence, CNN highlighted the reality that mosquitoes are great threats to the global health security.
What do you think are the effective ways to address the increasing cases of mosquito-borne infections? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
