Chikungunya – What is it?

As mosquitoes are in their active season and homeowners are enjoying the last weeks of summer, no one wants to think about the nasty and dangerous diseases mosquitoes can transmit through their bites. Unfortunately, with hundreds of Americans testing positive for chikungunya this year, the threat of mosquito-borne disease is a concern. But, what is chikungunya?

Dread Skeeter from Mosquito Squad fights mosquito and tick bites

Chikungunya was first described in 1955 along the border of Mozambique and Tanzania. It is believed, however, that the first outbreak happened in 1779. The name comes from a native language of that area and means “that which bends up” because of the position people take when suffering some of the disease’s painful symptoms.

Chikungunya is most commonly found in tropical areas of the world. Until this summer, all Americans that tested positive for chikungunya had been infected with it abroad (two Americans have been infected domestically this year). The CDC reported that the influx of cases this year is a result of an outbreak in the Carribean, a place where many Americans go for vacation.

The majority of chikungunya patients do display symptoms, typically 2-3 days after infection. Symptoms include, high fever, joint pain, rash, headache and nausea.

Doctors in the U.S. are aware of the influx of chikungunya this year and are warning people to be vigilant and protect yourself. “Prevention is key and experts say to protect yourself from the virus, simply limit your exposure to mosquitoes.” Source.

At Mosquito Squad, we’re happy to help homeowners protect themselves and their friends and family from the nuisance and dangers of mosquitoes. Our professional mosquito control services treat the areas of the property where mosquitoes are known to feed and harbor, so you don’t have to spray any repellent on your skin.

Our ongoing mosquito control services fall into three categories: our traditional barrier spray, all natural mosquito spray and our mosquito misting system. The traditional barrier spray reduces your mosquito population by up to 90% and needs to be reapplied every 3 weeks or so. The all natural mosquito control repels mosquitoes from the property with its scent (unnoticeable to humans) for up to 2 weeks. And for more control of your mosquito spray, we have our installed mosquito misting system that sends out short bursts of mosquito spray when they are known to be their most active. A remote is also available for those nights they are out in droves.

If you have any questions on how to protect yourself from mosquito-transmitted disease, please contact your local Mosquito Control office.

Animal Paralysis due to Ticks?

If you read this blog, you know that I am a huge dog lover (come on, look at that face). I make sure that my four-legged companion is fed correctly, has the right amount of exercise and gets the necessary shots and medicine to keep him strong and healthy. There are some ailments, however, that are difficult, if not impossible, to prevent and one can be caused by the dreaded tick.

I recently read an article about a dog that started displaying disturbing symptoms. An otherwise healthy dog all of a sudden started losing control of her legs. Seeing the animal get worse, it ended up being diagnosed as tick paralysis and after removing more than 4 ticks from the dog, it was able to fully recover.

Tick paralysis is a relatively common illness that mostly affects cows and sheep, but has been known to affect dogs and some humans. Tick paralysis occurs when a tick attaches and feeds for an extended period of time. A female tick causes the disease with toxins in the salivary glands. Weakness in the legs is usually the first symptom and begins 2-7 days after the tick bite. The symptoms can worsen very quickly, spreading to the trunk and head within hours, but rarely ends in death.

The treatment for tick paralysis is simple: remove the attached tick. Unlike other vector-borne diseases, tick paralysis isn’t caused by a virus or bacterium that stays in the body long after the parasite is removed. Instead, it’s a chemical reaction to the tick, so when the tick is properly removed, the symptoms fade quickly.

Although it is most common in dog and Rocky Mountain ticks, over forty species of ticks are known to cause tick paralysis. The best way to protect your animals from the dangers of ticks is to protect them as best you can. Mosquito Squad’s barrier spray, misting systems and tick tubes are a few ways to protect your property and animals against ticks (and mosquitoes of course!). All of our services aim to get mosquitoes and ticks before they have the opportunity to bite.

Tick control in your yard isn’t always enough to protect some of your pets from ticks, especially dogs that may go hiking with their owners. For example, although I protect my property from ticks, I still give my dog a topical medication because we hike and walk in wooded areas where ticks are known to be. Additionally, it’s imperative that you check your animals for ticks on a daily basis during tick season to ensure they don’t have time to attach and transmit any dangerous diseases.

If you have questions regarding any of our tick and mosquito control services, reach out to your local Mosquito Squad office.