The importance of preventing other mosquito- and tick-borne diseases.

Diseases transmitted by tick and mosquito bites are far too numerous for us to present a comprehensive list. However, we felt it important to at least mention some of the other diseases of concern:

• Dengue fever (rare in the U.S.; 100 million cases worldwide)
• Malaria (in the U.S., acquired mainly in FL; 1 million deaths annually worldwide)
• Anaplasmosis (annually strikes about 600 Americans)
• Babesiosis (mainly in the Northeast and upper Midwestern U.S.)
• Ehrlichiosis (incidence has been rising steadily with almost 600 U.S. cases in 2005)
• Rocky mountain spotted fever (perhaps the most serious of tick-borne diseases, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be severe and even deadly if not caught early; there are 250-1200 cases annually across the U.S.; classic symptoms include tick bite, fever and rash; learn more from the CDC)
• Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (transmitted by Lone Star ticks in the southeastern U.S.)
• Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (usually linked to stays at rustic cabins in the mountains of the Western U.S.)
• Tularemia (annually afflicts around 200 Americans)
• Colorado tick fever (Western U.S. at elevations above 5,000’)
• Powassan encephalitis (Northeastern U.S.; rare)

Your risk of acquiring any of these diseases, at home or while traveling, can be greatly reduced by practicing simple preventive measures. The CDC suggests that prevention is among the most important steps communities and individuals can take. Learn about the preventive measures you can take on the mosquito and tick pages of this website.