Mosquitoes carry pathogens in their saliva. When they bite, the saliva gets into your skin, and that’s how diseases like West Nile virus are transmitted.
Most of the time, a mosquito bite is annoying and nothing more. But the reason health authorities take mosquitoes seriously is that they're one of the most effective disease vectors on the planet.
When a mosquito bites, it doesn't just draw blood. It also injects saliva that contains anticoagulants to keep your blood flowing. If that mosquito is carrying a pathogen—a virus, for example—the pathogen rides along in the saliva and enters your bloodstream. You never feel it happening. The itch and the welt come later, as your immune system reacts to the saliva proteins.
In Central New Jersey, the most relevant disease risk is West Nile virus. The state of New Jersey sees cases most years. Most infected people don’t go on to show symptoms. Those that do experience fever, headache, and body aches. In the most severe of cases, there can be lasting neurological complications.
There is also the risk of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). It’s rare, but the fatality rate is high among symptomatic cases. Some New Jersey mosquitoes have been confirmed to carry it. Though you are very unlikely to fall ill with EEE, it’s worth knowing about because the consequences can be severe.
Beyond disease, mosquitoes are just annoying over the course of the summer. Children can have stronger allergic reactions than adults. Scratched bites can get infected. And the constant discomfort of being bitten takes a toll on how much you enjoy your own yard.
If you're tired of dealing with mosquitoes on your Central New Jersey property, Mosquito Squad of Central New Jersey can help. Mosquito Squad treats the areas where mosquitoes rest and breed across your yard, reducing the population by up to 90% for 21 days at a time. Fewer mosquitoes means fewer bites, and fewer bites means less risk.
