Mosquitos, Tick and Vector Born – Landscaping Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. Mosquito-Borne Diseases
    • West Nile Virus (WNV): This is one of the most common mosquito-borne diseases in North America.
    • Zika Virus: More prevalent in tropical regions, Zika virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes in the USA.
    • Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE): A rare but serious disease that can cause severe brain inflammation​​.
  1. Tick-Borne Diseases
    • Lyme Disease: Lyme disease can cause symptoms ranging from a rash and flu-like symptoms to severe neurological and cardiac issues if left untreated​.
    • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): This disease causes fever, rash, and can be fatal.
    • Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis: These bacterial infections can cause fever, headache, and muscle pain​​.
  1. Other Vector-Borne Diseases
    • Black Flies: Can cause painful bites leading to itching, swelling, and potential allergic reactions.
    • Fleas: Can transmit diseases such as plague and murine typhus.

STATS

  • West Nile Virus (WNV): The most common mosquito-borne disease in the USA, with a median of 2,205 cases.
  • Zika Virus: Although less common, it poses a risk of birth defects if contracted during pregnancy.
  • Dengue Fever and Malaria: Cases occur in travelers returning from endemic areas.
  • Lyme Disease: The most common vector-borne disease in North America. Ticks are responsible for transmitting Lyme disease, with over 30,000 confirmed cases in the USA each year.
  • Vector-borne diseases have been on the rise, with reported cases doubling over the last two decades. In 2018 alone, there were over 47,000 reported cases of vector-borne diseases.
  • In British Columbia, arthropod-borne illness is a significant risk. Even those vector-borne illnesses that are reportable to public health (e.g., Lyme disease) are under-reported.
  • Nearly one-fourth of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in humans are vector-borne, and one-third of these have been identified during the last decade.
  • Research shows that only 0.1% of pesticides used for mosquito control on average reach the target pests. For flying insects like mosquitoes, the average is less than 0.0001%, or only one in a million.