Any insect that feeds on blood has the potential of transmitting disease organisms from human to human. Mosquitoes are highly developed blood-sucking insects and are the most formidable transmitters of disease in the animal kingdom. Mosquito-borne diseases are caused by human parasites that have a stage in their life cycle that enters the blood stream. The female mosquito picks up the blood stage of the parasite when she imbibes blood to develop her eggs.

No. There are approximately 42 different species of mosquitoes in Maine. Some of them have habitats that overlap, and others have separate habitats based on their specific breeding requirements. Some mosquitoes feed on birds, some on mammals, and a few on both birds and mammals. The mosquitoes of most concern are those that feed on both birds and mammals; these are called "bridge" vectors.

least 43 species of mosquitoes have been found infected with the West Nile virus in the United States. Not all of these, however, are capable of maintaining the virus in such a manner as to permit them to transmit it among organisms. Many of these infected mosquitoes feed only upon birds, thus contributing to a cycling of the virus among avian populations. Other species feed upon these infective birds and then will feed upon mammals, including humans.

The northern house mosquito*, Culex pipiens is the most common mosquito in urban and suburban areas of eastern Canada and British Columbia. The mosquito larvae can be found in artificial containers and ditches, and also in natural rain puddles and ponds. They thrive in water polluted with organic wastes. The females feed mainly at night and mostly on birds, but they will also bite people both outdoors and indoors.

Mosquitoes kill more than one million people each year with the deadly diseases they transmit. These diseases include malaria, filariasis, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis (mainly the St. Louis and Eastern Equine strains). They can also transmit heartworm to dogs and cats. However, not all mosquitoes carry diseases. Each disease is transmitted by only a few species of mosquito. Here in Florida and Charlotte county, we mainly focus on St.

Yes. There are several other viruses circulating among mosquitoes in Ohio that can cause encephalitis. St. Louis Encephalitis, which is closely related to WNV, caused a major epidemic in 1975, resulting in 416 human cases and 29 fatalities. Every year, about 14 Ohioans, primarily children, are affected with La Crosse Encephalitis. In 1991, an outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis affected horses in the Killbuck Marsh area in Holmes and Wayne Counties.

No evidence to support that likelihood exists. If HIV infected blood is taken by a mosquito the virus is digested (killed) inside of the body of mosquito. If a mosquito takes a partial HIV infected blood meal from a person and then immediately feeds on an uninfected person, there would not be enough HIV particles present to transmit the disease. In fact, it is highly unlikely (1 in 10million chance) there would even be a single unit of HIV present.

In Australia there are around 400 species but only approximately 10 are commonly abundant and represent a serious pest threat because of their nuisance biting or their ability to transmit disease. (BACK)

The National Wildlife Health Center has found that a number of game bird species including ruffed grouse and waterfowl have tested positive for WNV. For a complete list of species, go to www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/west_nile/wnvaffected.html. There is no evidence that WNV can be transmitted to humans through consuming infected birds or mammals. However, wearing rubber or latex gloves when handling and cleaning wild game is recommended to prevent blood exposure to bare hands.

Answer: No, only certain species of mosquitoes can carry the virus and transmit it efficiently to other animals. The disease is mainly transmitted between birds and mosquitoes. People and horses are dead-end hosts and therefore cannot infect other mosquitoes. In Colorado, the main mosquito vector species for the West Nile Virus is Culex tarsalis, a fairly common mosquito in most parts of the state below 8,000 feet in elevation.

During the summer, mosquitoes can develop in any standing water that lasts more than 7 to 10 days. Consequently, you can begin protecting your family from mosquitoes by reducing the amount of standing water available for mosquito breeding around your home: Dispose of discarded tires, cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or other unused similar water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property.

Mosquitoes kill more than one million people each year with the deadly diseases they transmit. These diseases include malaria, filariasis, dengue fever, yellow fever and encephalitis (mostly St. Louis and eastern equine). Mosquitoes can also vector (transmit) dog heartworm. It is important to note that not all mosquitoes carry diseases. Each of the diseases is transmitted by only a few species of mosquito.

Sometimes (but only in the summer!). Some years there are almost none, and others there are many. The lodge site is windy enough to keep them down, and once on the glaciers they tend to become very few.