Mosquitoes will be out and about soon, which means you and your family could end up with mosquito bites. Although these bites can seem like a minor nuisance, they could increase your risk of getting sick. Mosquitoes can carry certain diseases that they transmit through their bites.
Hilton Head mosquito services are an important part of making sure that you and your family are protected from these diseases.
Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a viral illness that Aedes mosquitoes, which include the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, can spread to humans. This illness can cause fever, headaches, lower back pain, joint pain, vomiting, nausea and a rash, which can occur within a week after exposure. Treatment for this illness usually involves managing symptoms until it runs its course.
While chikungunya more commonly occurs in South America rather than North America, it has been showing up in parts of the US. Having Hilton Head mosquito services at your home can help you avoid having to deal with this illness or worrying about it.
West Nile Virus
West Nile virus is one of the more common diseases that mosquitoes in the SC area can spread. This viral illness can cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. However, it can also reach the brain in serious cases, resulting in central nervous system damage and a high risk of brain inflammation known as encephalitis.
Those who have encephalitis might have headaches, a stiff neck, fever and swelling in their lymph nodes. Life-threatening cases of West Nile virus can cause coma or convulsions.
No treatments exist for West Nile virus, although most people who have it either have no symptoms or minor symptoms. Serious cases occur in roughly one in 150 people. Your risk of developing a severe cases of West Nile virus goes up as you get older. Those who have this illness might become naturally immune to it once their body has dealt with it once.
Zika Virus
The Zika virus spreads through the bites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, or Asian tiger mosquitoes. These mosquitoes are known for being out during the day instead of at night, which can raise your risk of encountering them and being bitten by them. Asian tiger mosquitoes are also an aggressive species, so it can be hard to escape their bites if you have them around.
While Zika virus usually doesn’t cause any symptoms in those who are infected, it can be serious for pregnant women. This virus puts fetuses at risk of having a rare birth defect known as microcephaly, which can cause severe developmental problems.
No treatments exist for Zika virus other than letting the virus run its course. There are also no vaccines to protect you from getting it. When people who have it develop symptoms, they are usually mild and can include red eyes, joint pain, a rash and fever.
Mosquito Protection
How can you make sure that you are protected from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry this spring and summer?
Having your yard treated can help prevent a mosquito infestation from occurring. Keeping standing water out of your yard also helps by limiting the places where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Without standing water on your property, they have to go elsewhere. Repairing ripped screens and sealing up gaps around doors and windows also helps keep these mosquitoes from getting in.
With professional Hilton Head mosquito services, you can make sure that mosquitoes don’t become a problem for you this spring and summer. These services keep mosquito populations down and discourage these pests from invading your yard and reproducing.
Our Hilton Head mosquito services can protect you from the diseases that mosquitoes carry. Contact Island Pest Control to get more information about our mosquito treatment services.
