California's new winged killers: 2 species of disease-carrying mosquitoes pose threats
Citizens of California, beware: Two species of killer mosquitoes have been spotted by health officials in many parts of the state, including Los Angeles and Orange counties.
These aggressive mosquitoes are called the Asian Tiger and the Yellow Fever Mosquito, or scientifically known as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, respectively. They are characterised by their black-and-white stripes, and their tendency to bite people in the middle of the day.
These invasive mosquitoes carry diseases that can cause death, including dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.
"There is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya or dengue fever," California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Karen Smith said in a statement, as quoted by The Los Angeles Times.
At present, these killer mosquitoes have been seen in 10 of California's 58 counties, with swaths spotted in East L.A. and the San Gabriel Valley, Anaheim and parts of San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties. California did not have these species before.
The mosquito carrying the chikungunya virus, for instance, is only typically seen in Africa and Southeast Asia, although some cases have also been reported in the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and even Florida.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, some symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Symptoms usually begin to show three to seven days after being bitten by the mosquito.
Dengue fever, meanwhile, is characterised by high fever, joint and muscle pain, severe headache and rashes all over the body, among others. The mosquito that transmits this virus used to habitate only in Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
To prevent the spread of these diseases, the state health department advised the public to wear mosquito repellent and clothes with sleeves when going in open spaces.
"To prevent these diseases from becoming established in California, it is important for everyone to take steps to keep these mosquitoes from spreading," Smith said.
