North Carolina officials are advising people to stay on the alert for disease-carrying ticks and mosquitoes, following a record year for several vector-borne illnesses in 2024.
What's happening?
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is getting the word out about tick and mosquito-borne diseases as the state enters its prime season for these pests. Spectrum News 1 reported that while tick-borne diseases tend to peak around June and July and mosquito-borne diseases tend to peak around August and September, mosquito-borne diseases peaked about a month earlier than usual in 2024. The news site also reported that wetter weather due to Tropical Storm Chantal could increase the mosquito population this year.
Why is this announcement important?
While most mosquito and tick-borne diseases in North Carolina result in mild symptoms or none at all, some people can suffer more serious complications.
"You may experience things like headache; it can progress to seizures or even coma," Emily Herring, a public health veterinarian with the Communicable Disease Branch of NCDHHS, told Spectrum News 1.
In addition to an earlier season for several mosquito-borne illnesses last year, North Carolina set a record for West Nile virus cases at 27 — that's 20 more than the yearly average. The state also saw a slight increase in the La Crosse virus.
North Carolina is not alone when it comes to facing upward trends of vector-borne diseases, however. Across the globe, mosquitoes are benefiting from warmer and wetter weather, which is helping them expand their ranges, remain active for longer seasons, and move into higher altitudes.
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One recent example is Massachusetts, where officials announced that West Nile-carrying mosquitoes had been discovered two weeks earlier than last year. And Connecticut officials are warning residents that a mosquito that can carry several mosquito-borne illnesses, including dengue, is expected to spread farther and faster than usual across the state in 2025.
What's being done about vector-borne diseases?
Herring suggests that people dump standing water from containers such as bird baths, planters, toys, and trash cans, and scrub them once a week or keep them covered. To keep these pests out of the house, people should keep their windows and doors shut and repair broken or damaged screens, she adds. She also urges people to keep their skin covered as much as possible when outside and wear an EPA-registered insect repellent.
As for all those mosquitoes, scientists are looking for ways to reduce their populations to protect people from disease. For instance, Djibouti deployed a controversial method that involves releasing genetically modified mosquitoes that kill disease-spreading ones. The same technique has been used in Brazil and Florida. And one Florida county is even using X-rays to cull mosquito populations.
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