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Chikungunya
Is Not The Only |
| Hello Jeff Chikungunya is not the only mosquito borne
virus/disease to turn up in NY and NJ. In 2013 a Suffolk County man
locally acquired Dengue Fever. Why am I not surprised to hear this
happened in the same county as Plum Island. There have been outbreaks of various mosquito borne illnesses dating back to the 19th century with Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever in NY and Boston and vicinity. We are still seeing cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus in the North East specifically NY and New England. Powassan and tick borne diseases have not taken a rest either. There have also been cases of Jamestown Canyon Virus in NY and New England which is mosquito borne. We have the mosquitoes that transmit these viruses and therefore all they needed was a blood meal infected with these viruses for the cycle of mosquito bites infected bird human or animal for this cycle to begin. If the mosquitoes infected with the viruses weather over Winter as happened with West Nile Virus the cycle is endless. Patty "He said that New Jersey officials have it on their radar screen because a Suffolk County, N.Y. man in September 2013 was the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue virus in New York." dated August 04, 2014 at 10:39 AM, updated August 04, 2014 at 11:41 AM Mosquito found in Hunterdon transmits diseases including new-to-U.S. chikungunya They sense your blood pressure and hone in, vampire-like, on a capillary. With surgical precision the females siphon your blood through one tube, injecting an anesthetic through a second to camouflage their presence. A week after gorging on your blood, their red abdomen is yellow with "100 eggs instead of your blood." And you may not have even felt the bite, although the resulting welt might itch the next day. This is what normally happens when a female mosquito draws blood, says Tadhgh Rainey, director of the Hunterdon County Division of Health and its expert on mosquito and vector — anything that carries and transmits disease — control. Hormones drive the female mosquitoes' need to draw blood, he said, but they can survive just fine on nectar/sugar water alone. But this year officials and medical personnel are particularly on the alert for disease, because of the spread in December 2013 of mosquito-borne chikungunya to the Americas. "A lot of people are traveling to the Caribbean and importing chikungunya to New Jersey and elsewhere." New Jersey has 64 species of mosquitoes. Hunterdon has three dozen of those, although a cold and wet winter — meaning a lot of road salt has been spread — usually allows some salt-marsh species to appear a year after the harsh winter. Of all the species normally in this range, Rainey said that Aedes albopictus, the Asian Tiger mosquito, is the one to worry about because it's well known for spreading chikungunya — and dengue fever — in addition to West Nile and other viruses. This is also one mosquito that will feed during the day. Mosquito pools in 11 counties, including Hunterdon and neighboring Mercer, tested positive for West Nile Virus on July 25, the state Department of Health reported on July 28. This year, August could be the riskiest month to get bit by an Asian Tiger mosquito, said Rainey, because it's the "one mosquito that was impacted by the significant freeze we had last winter. We're on the fringe of that mosquito's ability to survive." As a result, it's getting a late start on the season and is "just starting to show up in Hunterdon County and elsewhere." However, Rainey said, this species will lay eggs in even the smallest receptacles with standing water, including bottle caps. Pet and farm owners also unwittingly contribute to increased populations with watering bowls and tubs. The state has warned that the "height of West Nile Virus season" is near and "everyone — especially those traveling" to the Caribbean — should wear insect repellent, check screens and remove standing water from yards to reduce the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne illness. Those infected may have a fever, muscle weakness, vomiting and dizziness. Last year 12 people in New Jersey tested positive for West Nile, for which there is no preventive vaccine or medication. Through July 28, the state Department of Health said, 25 residents had tested positive for chikungunya virus. All of them had traveled to the Caribbean, where the virus was first confirmed in December 2013. More than 350,000 suspected cases and 21 deaths from chikungunya have been reported since then by 23 countries and territories in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization said in July. More than a dozen countries in the Americas had also reported cases in travelers. It's spreading so rapidly, the state Department of Health said, because a mosquito that feeds on someone infected with chikungunya can then spread the infection "by biting another person. More than 300 travel-related cases have been reported nationwide this year." "A lot of people are traveling to the Caribbean and importing chikungunya to New Jersey and elsewhere," said Rainey. In addition, the first cases of chikungunya acquired in the United States have been confirmed in Florida. Another disease that may be transmitted by the Asian tiger mosquito, but that isn't causing as much concern right now, Rainey said, is dengue fever, another disease for which there is no vaccine. Long-associated with tropic regions, Rainey pointed out that serious outbreaks have been reported in this country, including one in 1780 in Philadelphia. He said that New Jersey officials have it on their radar screen because a Suffolk County, N.Y. man in September 2013 was the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue virus in New York. Officials there thought he got it from a mosquito that had bitten an infected traveler. While dengue is a much lesser threat, it's also potentially more serious, said Rainey. There are four strains of the virus and infection by one confers immunity for that strain, but increases the risk of hemorrhagic forms of if another form of the virus is contracted, he explained. http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2014/08/mosquito_found_in_hunterdon_tr.html |
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