Mosquito-borne diseases are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Despite their size, mosquitos are one of the world’s deadliest animals, due to their ability to carry and spread disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. Although the threat is not high in Wisconsin, because of our northern climate, everyone is still at risk.

Symptoms of mosquito-borne diseases can vary greatly in severity. Typically, most infections are mild, resulting in a slight fever and/or a headache. Severe infections can be marked by a rapid onset of a headache, high fever, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsion and infrequently paralysis or death.

In Wisconsin, the most common mosquito-borne diseases are West Nile Virus and La Crosse Encephalitis. Residents who travel to other countries can also be at risk for travel-related diseases, such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever or Zika virus infection.

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