By Cindy Mulla, Public Relations/Education, Beach Mosquito Control District
Are you itching to understand more about those annoying Panama City Beach mosquitoes?
Did you know, the male mosquito is not the one responsible for biting and taking a blood meal? Both the male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar which assists with pollination but the female mosquitoes are the bloodthirsty vampires of the insect world. Regrettably, she requires the nutrients from a blood meal to produce her eggs. A single blood meal from a female mosquito can produce 250 to 300 mosquito eggs. After a blood meal and resting she lays eggs within three days and with optimal environmental conditions these hatched eggs become adults in a week to ten days. On average, female mosquitoes can lay eggs twice in their lifetime.
Not only can mosquitoes adversely impact your outdoor enjoyment, but it is possible they can negatively affect both the local public health and yours too. BMCD consistently monitors for the following endemic mosquito-borne (arboviral) diseases, Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) commonly referred to as Tripple E, St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV), and West Nile Virus (WNV). The transmission cycle for these three viruses is similar. First viral infected wild birds carry the virus. Second, they become bitten by a female mosquito (the vector) which can keep amplifying the virus by biting other birds creating other new hosts. Third, to complete the transmission the infected mosquito will bite a dead-end host (a mammal or human) where the transmission cycle stops. Humans and mammals cannot transmit these viruses further. The only slight differences between each of the three individual viral transmission cycles are the main vector specie(s) of mosquitoes needed for transmission of the certain virus, their feeding habits, and the special environmental conditions necessary for positive transmission during a specific time of year.
Are mosquito populations monitored in Panama City Beach, Florida, and by whom?
Consistently for over seventy years, Beach Mosquito Control District (BMCD) collects mosquito trap data. Currently, our area has up to thirty-six distinct species present seasonally and approximately fifty recorded species annually in Panama City Beach. The state of Florida has an approximate total of over ninety recorded species.
BMCD’s staff of biologists use multiple different trapping methods to monitor mosquito populations at designated trap locations. The daily catch of mosquitoes is individually speciated by size, coloration, patterns, and biology. After the mosquito identification process and if there are enough mosquito vectors available per trap site location, biologists will run tests to determine if arbovirus is in the area. Seventeen mosquito species in our local area have the potential to transmit disease to people, pets, and livestock.
BMCD’s mosquito surveillance team of biologists also use another method to monitor mosquito-borne viral activity in local avian populations. Biologists weekly visit three distinct sentinel chicken flock locations and take blood samples from each of the six chickens in each location equaling a total of eighteen samples. Next, BMCD’s laboratory processes and sends these samples to a special state laboratory for analysis. The state laboratory processes, collects, and forwards these data reports to health departments, mosquito control districts, and other state entities. If a specific percent threshold for positive confirmation(s) of arbovirus data is met from individual samples or a combination of any of the other samples gathered from mosquito control surveillance flocks, mosquito pools, medical human or veterinary horse cases reported from any county of the state, the recorded data is compiled and forwarded to public health departments and mosquito control districts so an immediate plan of action can respond to the situation. Also, the health department is instrumental in coordinating public service announcements (PSA’s) for mosquito-borne disease advisories and alerts.
Mosquito surveillance is key and the first line of defense for proper mosquito control management. Monitoring mosquito populations ensures proper population management. It determines if methods are still working properly or to determine if re-application or if additional methods of treatment are necessary to combat the mosquito populations and their potential for disease transmission.
Can mosquito bites harm your pet(s)?
Yes! Please, remember to keep your pets safe by administrating monthly preventive heartworm products to your dog(s) and cat(s). Mosquitoes are the vector for transmitting dog and cat heartworm parasites which can potentially be a fatal disease for your pet. Remember to have your pets evaluated for heartworm by your veterinarian during their routine visit.
Annually in the Florida Panhandle region, horses can contract and die from Eastern Equine Encephalitis. There are highly effective vaccines available from tack and feed stores. Be a responsible owner, have your pets(s) routinely examined by a licensed veterinarian, and ask for prevention advice.
What foreign mosquito illness is it possible to get while visiting foreign Subtropical Countries?
Other mosquito viruses such as Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV), Dengue Virus (DENV, commonly known as Dengue Fever), and Zika Virus are traditionally imported infections from foreign countries that travelers might contract and might not even realize that they have an illness. It can take between two to fifteen days after receiving a bite from an infected mosquito for symptoms to appear or sometimes a traveler can be an asymptomatic carrier with no signs of an arbovirus infection. Arbovirus Illness symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, joint pain, and sometimes a rash. Unfortunately, these symptoms mimic the flu. There are no cures for arboviruses. It is important to seek medical attention for these symptoms because if left unattended a person can develop more severe life-threatening health issues. However, most people infected with an arbovirus do not even become ill.
Imported Mosquito-Borne Disease
It is possible for an infected traveler returning from a high-risk foreign country to introduce or spread tropical arbovirus disease to their local area. However, certain things must be in place for this type of illness transmission to succeed. The traveler must receive a bite from specific mosquito species in their area, capable of spreading subtropical mosquito-borne disease to other humans during the viability of the virus. If this type of transmission successfully occurs, it then becomes a “Local Transmission.”
With modern transportation, we are only a flight or cruise away to a tropical paradise!
When traveling far or near, please remember to pack insect repellent, and do not forget to use it to prevent yourself from bringing back any unwanted souvenirs. Remember one bite can impact you for life!
For all your local Panama City Beach, mosquito concerns, contact the professionals at Beach Mosquito Control District by visiting our website www.pcbeachmosquito.org, or calling (850) 233-5030 to place your service request today.
There is absolutely no charge. Beach Mosquito Control District is funded by local ad valorem tax dollars.
