Do we have cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts this year? We do have a few cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts in 2022. As of October 4, 2022, the CDC reports that Massachusetts has had five confirmed cases and no deaths this year. This is half the number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts for 2021.
West Nile virus was confirmed for the first time this year in Massachusetts on July 14, 2022. Mosquito samples are collected throughout Massachusetts for disease testing. On July 14, a sample taken from Easton MA was found to have carriers of West Nile virus. Should Massachusetts residents be concerned with this recent finding?
Or more appropriately stated, some of the worst things about living in Central Massachusetts. Mosquitoes, plural.
The Mosquito Plague In Central Massachusetts
The first reports of mosquito-transmitted Yellow Fever in the United States occurred in Charleston, SC, and Philadelphia, PA, back in 1699. Today, it is found in South America and Africa and causes around 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths each year. Fortunately, there is an effective vaccine against yellow fever. But what about the other mosquito diseases that surround us here in Central Massachusetts? Are their vaccines for those?
Heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 U.S. states. While heartworm can happen anywhere in the U.S. there are distinct areas of concentration. Namely, the Gulf Coast, Atlantic Coast, and Mississippi Delta. Heartworm disease is common on the Atlantic,…
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Cat owners are likely aware of common diseases, like Feline Leukemia Virus, but can cats get heartworm?
The simple answer to this question, is yes. Cats can get heartworm disease. Unlike dogs, cats are not suitable heartworm hosts. This means that most worms will not reach adulthood. Adult heartworms can reach lengths of up to 12 to 14 inches in dogs, and infestations can reach numbers in the hundreds. This is because the adult worms actually reproduce inside of infected dogs. Even though this will not happen in cats, it does not mean that cats cannot get sick due to heartworm infestations. Even juvenile worms can cause your cat to be very sick. Immature heartworms in cats can result in heartworm associated respiratory disease, also known as HARD.
According to the World Health Organization, there were 290,000 cases of malaria in 2019. This deadly mosquito-borne illness is nothing new. The parasite that causes malaria was discovered in 1880, by French military doctor, Alphonse Laveran. It took 17 years for Sir Ronald Ross to determine that this parasite was transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. He dissected the stomach tissue of a mosquito, which had fed on an infected patient for four days, and found the parasite therein. Since then, preventive medications and cures have been developed for this mosquito-borne disease. Even so, there are more than 400,000 deaths reported each year. These numbers are what make mosquitoes the deadliest animals on the planet.
Summer is coming to a close. The most active mosquito season is also nearing its end. What has 2020 looked like for mosquito-borne illnesses? There has been such focus on COVID-19 in 2020, mosquito-born illnesses might not have been at the front of your mind. Even so, they remain a great threat to our health. We have seen Eastern equine encephalitis make an appearance again in 2020. As of September 9, the CDC reports there have been five confirmed cases of EEE in the United States. Three of those cases were in Massachusetts.