Diagnosing, curing, and preventing COVID-19 is a worldwide priority.  The sudden prevalence of COVID-19 and movement to cure and eradicate it, have put mosquito-borne diseases on the back burner.  However, they persist.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, a mother living in Singapore recently thought that her children were showing symptoms of COVID-19.  It began with a fever for her six-year-old daughter, and continued on to two other children.  Of course, the first thing she considered was coronavirus.  Who wouldn’t?  Her children did not have COVID-19.

Diagnosis: dengue fever, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease.

Also a viral infection, dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease with a potentially deadly outcome.  There is no cure.  There is no vaccination.  Those stricken with dengue fever must be treated with supportive care – bed rest, fluids, and pain relievers.  This mosquito borne disease is rampant in tropical and subtropical areas, and a very prevalent diagnosis in Asia.  It begins with a sudden high fever.  Other symptoms include extreme pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and a rash at day three or four after the first fever.  Very rarely, hemorrhagic fever occurs, which includes persistent vomiting, bleeding gums, and rapid breathing.

Can Central Mass residents contract this dangerous mosquito-borne disease?

According to the CDC, most U.S. cases of dengue fever are contracted during travel to tropical locations.  Though, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are fairly common areas for the disease.  Anyone in Central Massachusetts, who has traveled to a tropical climate, and presents with flu-like symptoms within three weeks of returning home, should immediately seek medical care.  Dengue fever is diagnosed with a simple blood test, and must be treated early.  It is rarely fatal, but it can cause organ damage, difficulty breathing, and hemorrhaging.  It is one of the more serious mosquito-borne diseases.

Mosquito protection is essential at home and away from home.

The United States has dangers mosquito borne diseases too, like EEE and West Nile Virus.  Residents of Central Mass must protect their families at home with essential mosquito control.  Reputable mosquito control companies offer solutions for protecting your family from the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses, with both EPA-registered insecticides and all-natural mosquito repellent solutions.  For full protection all spring and summer, your property can be protected with a simple barrier spray, which will either kill mosquitoes or repel them for a few weeks at a time.  EPA-registered mosquito barrier sprays are typically applied every three weeks.  All-natural mosquito control sprays are usually applied about ever two weeks.  When your family is away from home, use personal mosquito protection with DEET or permethrin.

Begin your mosquito control regimen today, for the safety and health of your Central Mass family!  Even though the threat of COVID-19 is at the forefront, we still must be vigilant in protecting ourselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.