6 Florida counties rank high in U.S. for mosquito-borne diseases. Is your county on the list?

Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·6 min read
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World Mosquito Day is Aug. 20. A holiday certain parts of the country will not be celebrating.

Pest control statistics website Pest Gnome determined the counties that are most vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases, with six Florida counties claiming the top 20.

Experts compared nearly 800 counties based on four categories. They looked at the number of mosquito species in each state, recent cases of diseases like West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses, and mosquito-friendly climate, among 12 total metrics.

They go on to say that Americans should be moderately concerned about mosquito-borne illness, to the extent of protecting themselves from bites and preventing the accumulation of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.

Get rid of mosqitoes: Tips on repelling mosquitos tied to amount of time spent outdoors

What Florida counties rank within the list?

Collier County

  • Rank: 11

  • Overall score: 32.20

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 68

  • Disease prevalence rank: 178

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 6

  • Mosquito control rank: 661

Miami-Dade County

  • Rank: 12

  • Overall score: 32.12

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 60

  • Disease prevalence rank: 149

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 1

  • Mosquito control rank: 745

Santa Rosa County

  • Rank: 13

  • Overall score: 32.10

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 72

  • Disease prevalence rank: 421

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 25

  • Mosquito control rank: 516

Martin County

  • Rank: 11

  • Overall score: 32.20

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 68

  • Disease prevalence rank: 178

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 6

  • Mosquito control rank: 661

Escambia County

  • Rank: 11

  • Overall score: 32.20

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 68

  • Disease prevalence rank: 178

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 6

  • Mosquito control rank: 661

Charlotte County

  • Rank: 20

  • Overall score: 32.20

  • Mosquito prevalence rank: 68

  • Disease prevalence rank: 178

  • Mosquito-friendly climate rank: 6

  • Mosquito control rank: 661

What are the 20 most vulnerable counties for mosquito-borne diseases?

  1. Pitt County, NC

  2. Maricopa County, AZ

  3. Buncombe County, NC

  4. Brazoria County, TX

  5. Liberty County, GA

  6. Jefferson County, TX

  7. Knox County, TN

  8. Cameron County, TX

  9. Galveston County, TX

  10. Camden County, GA

  11. Orange County, TX

  12. Collier County, FL

  13. Miami-Dade County, FL

  14. Santa Rosa County, FL

  15. Wharton County, TX

  16. Martin County, FL

  17. Aiken County, SC

  18. Escambia County, FL

  19. Jackson County, NC

  20. Charlotte County, FL

What are some of the diseases associated with mosquitos?

Malaria

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Malaria is a disease transmitted through the bite of an infective female anopheline mosquito that can rapidly become very severe and life-threatening. Seven cases of Malaria were found in Sarasota County earlier this summer.

Attempts at producing an effective malaria vaccine and vaccine clinical trials are ongoing, the CDC said. Symptoms of malaria include:

  • Fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, sweats, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.

  • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are possible.

  • Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes).

Dengue Fever

Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. So far this year, there have been 10 cases of the illness from people who got infected in South Florida.

No specific antiviral agents exist for dengue. Symptoms of Dengue:

  • High fever

  • Headache

  • Body aches

  • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are possible.

  • Rash

West Nile

West Nile is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever. It is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. It saw 1,126 cases of West Nile in 2022 with 90 deaths.

There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat WNV in people. Symptoms of West Nile:

  • Headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash

  • Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, and paralysis.

What are the 20 least vulnerable counties for mosquito-borne diseases?

For those in North Dakota, mosquitoes are nowhere on your radar:

  1. Sargent County, ND

  2. Steele County, ND

  3. Dickey County, ND

  4. Kidder County, ND

  5. Clark County, ND

  6. Ransom County, ND

  7. Marshall County, SD

  8. LaMoure County, ND

  9. Griggs County, ND

  10. Mercer County, ND

  11. Hettinger County, ND

  12. Barnes County, ND

  13. Stark County, ND

  14. Clear Creek County, ND

  15. Anchorage County, AK

  16. Emmons County, ND

  17. Williams County, ND

  18. Kingsbury County, ND

  19. Roberts County, SD

  20. Stutsman County, ND

What types of environments attract mosquitoes into people’s homes, and how can they be avoided?

University of Florida Assistant Professor and State Extension Specialist Eva Buckner shares that mosquitoes need water with half of their life cycle being aquatic.

"A home with a yard containing lots of containers holding water is a great place for producing lots of mosquitoes. Dumping water-holding containers once a week can reduce mosquitoes around your home," Buckner said. "Also, make sure all windows have screens with no holes to prevent mosquitoes from coming indoors."

What about pets? Are they vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases?

Owners of certain kinds of pets need to be concerned about pet exposure to mosquitoes, University of California Professor Emeritus Entomology and Nematology Sharon P. Lawler said.

"Heartworm is carried by mosquitoes. This can affect dogs and sometimes cats. These should be vaccinated, especially where heartworm is common (most of the USA). Horses are quite vulnerable to some of the encephalitis viruses, such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and should be vaccinated," Lawler said. "Pet birds can contract West Nile virus and some of the other viruses. This often isn’t serious, but young birds should be protected as they may have less immunity, and outdoor aviaries should be screened.

What are the most concerning symptoms of mosquito bites?

Lawler further elaborated to Pest Gnome experts that mosquito-borne diseases take a couple of days or more to incubate, causing headaches and fever.

"Consider consulting a medical doctor if these symptoms arise in the days after bites occur. Secondary infections caused by scratching are also concerning. These are frequently indicated by discharge, excessive swelling and pain, and sometimes red streaks near the bite," Lawler said.

The most concerning symptoms of mosquito bites are neurological symptoms of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis, which include:

  • Seizures

  • Paralysis

  • Coma

How can I manage itchiness or pain from mosquito bites?

Per the CDC, they recommend:

  • Place an ice pack on the bite for 10 minutes to reduce itchiness and inflammation.

  • Using over-the-counter anti-itch or antihistamine cream.

  • Mixing one tablespoon of baking soda with just a little bit of water to make a paste. Leave the paste on the bite for 10 minutes, then wash off.

How can I avoid mosquitos?

If you live in a mosquito-infested area or just have the type of blood they’re attracted to, consider the following precautions:

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Dengue fever and malaria: Florida's vulnerable mosquito disease areas