It’s Just A Mosquito Bite, Right?

I live in the Midwest, and about seven years ago we were hit pretty hard by West Nile disease carried primarily by mosquitoes. Sure, we here about the birds and other animals that contract it, but crows aren’t biting me.

West Nile is a nasty little disease that can range from a mild nuisance to a debilitating illness that can kill people with compromised immune systems. Mosquitoes can also carry a few other diseases, including encephalitis, another potentially deadly or debilitating disease. I know several people who came down with the disease and some bounced back and others spent years in a wheel chair.

After a few years, the fervor died down, and the paranoia and fear associated with West Nile was replaced by bird flu. The funny thing is that, as a kid, I would get bitten by countless mosquitoes and neither I, nor my parents, thought anything of it. It was an annoyance, but now it’s something else.

It’s hard to believe that a small insect like that could create such havoc, but in underdeveloped countries, mosquito-borne diseases have been around for centuries.

It doesn’t take much to keep yourself safe from mosquitoes during the summer. When outside, always wear bug repellent and sleeves that cover your arms. It may be a little hot, but an afternoon of sweating beats a few weeks in the hospital.

Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and it can be as small as a puddle in the driveway or as large as a lake. Eliminate any standing water that you can control. For larger pools, there are pellets that can kill mosquito larvae and keep them from laying eggs in the water.

I cannot stress the importance of keeping safe from mosquitoes. I know it may sound like the ramblings of a mad man, but it only takes one bite. You can be bit by 100 mosquitoes and not have a problem, but that one infected insect can change your life forever.

The media may have moved on past the West Nile scare, but for people living in the Midwest, it’s still an issue. The local health department still sends out alerts when a dead bird tests positive, and I see the reality every day in friends and family who were struck by the disease.

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