Insecticide Resistance: A New Threat from West Nile Virus-Carrying Mosquitoes
John VanDenBerg believes he was gardening when he was bitten by a mosquito. In September of 2018, VanDenBerg, then 67 years old, reported feeling off for a few days, as if he had the illness. One morning, however, as he was leaving his Colorado residence, he collapsed. “I just fell,” said VanDenBerg. That is the last thing he can recall for quite some time.
One mosquito strike caused VanDenBerg to contract a severe form of West Nile virus. His cranium developed an inflammatory condition. He lost his reading and writing skills. His limbs and legs became rigid due to paralysis. “I had no idea if my mobility would ever return,” he said. It was a frightening period.
A Persistent Threat in the United States
Federal health officials are most concerned about West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that transmit it, despite the fact that this summer marked the first locally acquired cases of malaria in twenty years.
According to a CDC medical entomologist, Culex mosquitoes are currently the CDC’s primary concern in the continental U.S. This year’s combination of an unusually wet season due to rainfall and thawing snow packs and intense heat waves appears to have significantly increased mosquito populations. And, according to CDC scientists, these mosquitoes have become increasingly resistant to the insecticides used by communities to destroy the insects and their eggs.
Connelly’s team discovered that Culex mosquitoes exposed to insecticides live longer. Experiments at the lab have revealed no resistance to the insect repellents typically used by people on treks and other outdoor activities. Connelly stated that their efficacy persists. As the insects become more resistant to insecticides, they are also increasing dramatically in certain regions of the country.
According to the CDC, there have been 69 human cases of West Nile virus in the United States so far in 2023. In 2003, there were 9,862 cases, which is far from a record. However, more mosquitoes now, twenty years later, increases the likelihood that people will be bitten and become unwell. West Nile virus infections typically surge in August and September. Dr. Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC’s Fort Collins laboratory, said that this is just the beginning of when we’ll see West Nile begin to spread in the United States. Over the next few weeks, a steady increase in disease cases is anticipated.
This year, 149 mosquito traps in Maricopa County, Arizona, have tested positive for West Nile, compared to only eight in 2022. The stagnant water is ideal for mosquitoes to lay their eggs in, Townsend said. According to him, mosquitoes hatch faster in warmer water, within three or four days, as opposed to up to two weeks in chilly water.
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Spotting West Nile Virus
Since its initial detection in the United States in 1999, West Nile has become the most prevalent mosquito-borne disease in the country. Several thousands of individuals are infected annually, according to Staples. West Nile virus does not propagate through casual contact between individuals. Only Culex insects transmit the disease. The insects become infected by biting ill birds, then transmit the virus to humans through subsequent bites.
There is no cure or vaccine available. The majority of individuals never experience any emotion. According to the CDC, one in five experience fever, headache, body pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. Typically, symptoms appear between three and fourteen days after a bite.
One in every 150 individuals infected with West Nile virus develops fatal complications. Staples stated that individuals over the age of 60 and those with underlying medical conditions are at a greater risk for developing severe illness. Thanks to intensive physical rehabilitation, VanDenBerg has regained many of his abilities five years after being diagnosed with West Nile virus. However, his ankles remain numb, compelling him to rely on a cane.
“I believe I am mentally functioning extremely well, but I have a somewhat awkward gait,” he said. While the extremity of VanDenBerg’s illness is uncommon, it occurred simultaneously with another tragic incident.
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