Miami-Dade County Pest Control | Serving Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami Mosquitoes: Zika Versus Dengue
The one thing that Zika and Dengue have in common is that they are mosquito borne viruses. They are spread through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. While most people are familiar with the Dengue virus, the Zika virus wasn’t as well-known up until recent years when it began to infect people of South America. The Zika isn’t a new virus but never in history hit caused so much heartbreak and horror.
The bites are hard to avoid since it is an aggressive mosquito that bites during the daytime. There is no vaccine or medicine that can treat either disease. The symptoms can be treated and therefore those who have been affected will seek medical attention for the pain and to reduce the fever. Part of the treatment for these diseases is rest and lots of fluids. It helps in the recovery process. So now that you know what the Dengue and Zika have in common perhaps you would like to know their differences.
Transmission
Again, both transmit disease through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito species. The best and most effective way to protect yourself from this disease is to reduce the amount of mosquitos with preventative measures. Recent studies have reported that the Zika can also be transmitted via sexual contact and blood transfusion. This is a major difference between the two. Safe sex is another way to minimize the spread of the Zika infection.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms that you’ll experience from either of them is muscle and joint pain, rashes, fever, headache and conjunctivitis. The difference between the Zika symptoms is that they only last for several days to a week and will eventually subside. The Dengue virus can last for weeks followed by bruising and bleeding. The fever that develops from the Dengue virus can be very dangerous and this is why medical attention is urgent. Those infected with Zika don’t usually get sick enough to require hospitalization and will unlikely die from the virus. Those with Dengue will usually require medical attention because of how bad the symptoms become.
Complications
The known possible Zika complication is microcephaly. This doesn’t occur with Dengue. There appears to be a link between the Zika virus and Guillain-Barre syndrome. This is not the same with Dengue. Zika infections tend to have long-term problems, especially when it comes to unborn babies. Pregnant women require extra care and attention when traveling or in infected areas.
Keeping Mosquitos Away
These viruses can be controlled. This means you’ll have to create an environment that repels them. This means that you shouldn’t leave any free-standing water anywhere around your property. If you have a birdbath, pool or flowerpots, you should make sure that there is never any water, no matter how small it might be, sitting in the bottom of them. This is one of the major causes of mosquitos. A professional exterminator from Miami-Dade County Pest Control can also use products that prove effective in keeping mosquitos away. Forget about buying something from the local store because these things rarely, if ever, work. A professional exterminator will find the source of the problem and they will go to work on helping you get rid of the problem by treating the source.
You can try all that you want but only a qualified trained professional will know how to effectively treat your infestation problem. This isn’t a problem that should go unattended to, as it can spread. In most cases the mosquitos around your home are harmless but you can never be too careful when it comes to your health and safety. Eliminate the problem as quickly as you can by relying on Miami-Dade County Pest Control.
