Click here for what you need to know about the Zika virus and how to prevent it.

Mosquitoes are not only annoying but also pose a serious health risk by transmitting diseases. Diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and encephalitis (including West Nile virus) are linked to mosquitoes. While residents in the U.S. benefit from active public health programs, other regions face high mortality rates from mosquito-borne diseases, with malaria causing over 2 million deaths annually.

Our ongoing efforts include monitoring three encephalitis viruses transmitted by mosquitoes: West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. We focus on collecting mosquitoes using various traps, targeting species likely to carry these viruses. The mosquitoes are sorted by species, pooled in vials, and sent to LSU Vet School for virus testing.

Dead birds are no longer collected for disease surveillance in Louisiana, as West Nile Virus is already known to be present. Additionally, dead birds do not help determine when or where they were infected. Finding a dead bird does not necessarily indicate West Nile Virus; many factors can cause bird deaths.

Here are links to the various diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Not all of them are found here, but all are important, considering the speed of travel in today’s society.

• Encephalitis - SLE, EEE, WEE
• West Nile virus
• Dengue Fever
• Yellow Fever
• Malaria
• Dog Heartworm
• Chikungunya
• Zika virus

Arboviral Encephalitis: This is brain inflammation caused by an arbovirus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or other arthropods. Humans and other vertebrates can become infected when an infected arthropod takes a blood meal.