Top 5 Dangerous Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Than Zika Virus

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The mosquito-borne illness Zika virus has been making rounds in the news because it causes brain damage among Brazilian newborns.

According to the New York Times, infections caused by the virus have been found in the US via travelers and there is impending threat of it spreading in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, diseases carried by mosquitoes are not new and some of these are even more dangerous than the Zika virus. Here are five examples:

1.) Malaria

Malaria has been around for a very long time and it is still considered to be a fatal disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the infection is caused by Plasmodium parasites which are transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

The disease is most dangerous when a patient is afflicted with a certain Plasmodium falciparum, a parasite that is responsible for 90 percent of worldwide malaria deaths, according to Malaria.com. The parasite can impair red blood cell behavior amd restrict blood flow to organs, this is especially fatal if it occurs in the brain. These parasites can reproduce very fast and cases can become life-threatening in a matter of hours to days.

There is currently no vaccine for malaria.

2.) Dengue Fever

While this disease is commonly associated with the tropics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it is quickly becoming a global problem.

Dengue fever is a disease passed on by the bite of an dengue virus infected Aedes mosquito. A variant of this disease is the dengue hemorrhagic fever which is rare but fatal. It can cause enlargement of the liver, bleeding from the nose and gums, lymph and blood vessel damage which can lead to shock, massive bleeding and death called dengue shock syndrom (DSS), according to WebMD. Those who have subsequent dengue infection and those who have weak immune systems are susceptible to this condition.

3.) West Nile Virus

The West Nile Virus, like Dengue is affiliated to the tropics but there have been more than 2,00 cases in the US this year, according to Outbreak News Today.

The West Nile fever is caused by being bitten by infected mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds, according to Mayo Clinic. While most people develop a mild infection, a percentage is serious cases. The virus can cause brain inflammation (encephalitis) and inflammation in the brain membrane and spinal cord (meningitis). The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to this condition.

4.) Chikungunya

Chikungunya fever (CHIK) made waves in the US after local cases started showing up in Florida in July last year, according to the CDC.

The virus transmitted by infected mosquitoes is reportedly similar to the West Nile and Dengue, according to the Florida Health Department.

According to Only My Health, the chikungunya virus attacks the body's white blood cells and wreaks havoc on the person's immune system which can aggravate underlying medical conditions. It also affects the joints which can be painful when ridden with the virus. Older people and children are susceptible to this disease.

5.) Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is caused by a virus that can cause serious complications. According to Healthline, the disease is not curable but it can be prevented with a vaccine.

There are three stages to the disease, the acute and remission stage. Most people usually recover after the second stage but there are people who get worse after 24 hours, to which they go to the toxic stage. It is considered to be the most serious and is often fatal.