The virologist warned about diseases transmitted through mosquito bites

The bites of some mosquitoes can pose a threat and lead to infection with diseases such as dirofilariasis and West Nile fever. On April 28, Alexander Lukashev, virologist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases named after Marcinovsky Sechenov University, told Gazeta.Ru».

"In general, mosquitoes in our country are much less dangerous than in tropical countries. We don't have malaria, yellow fever, or dengue. Perhaps the most dangerous disease that mosquitoes can carry in Russia is West Nile fever. This virus first appeared in our country in 1999, and outbreaks have been occurring regularly since then. This is an avian virus, a person gets sick relatively rarely, but in a small part of people the disease can be very severe, with the development of encephalitis," the specialist said.

The risk of the disease increases towards the end of the hot summer. Therefore, until the beginning of August, the risk of encountering this disease is extremely low.

At the same time, there is currently no vaccine against the disease, as well as therapy. Outbreaks of West Nile fever are possible throughout the country, including in Moscow and other metropolitan areas.

Another threat to Russians may be dirofilariasis. The main carrier of the parasite is dogs. But a person can also be infected through a mosquito bite under certain conditions.

"For another twenty years, the epicenter of the disease was in the Rostov region, and today you can get infected in Moscow. The main way to combat this is to deworm dogs, and it is important that not only your own dog is regularly treated, but also everything within a radius of 100-200 m from the places where you often visit," said the virologist.

Lukashev also pointed out the risk of contracting tropical fever through the bites of new species of mosquitoes that have bred in the Krasnodar Territory.

"In order for us to have our own outbreak, several unlikely events must occur at once, so the threat is still hypothetical, but what was impossible twenty years ago has become unlikely," the expert said.

"About a year or two": the appearance of viral encephalitis was predicted in Moscow

Now ticks mainly carry borreliosis and spotted fever.

On April 25, Dr. Radchik spoke about the causes of bruising after an insect bite. As the expert explained, mosquitoes, by injecting anticoagulants into the skin that prevent blood clotting, can cause small hemorrhages. People with sensitive skin and those who scratch bite sites are particularly susceptible to this. According to her, unlike mosquitoes, horseflies mechanically damage the skin, which leads to rupture of capillaries and accumulation of blood under the skin, forming purple or blue spots. This makes their bites more traumatic, especially for children, who may be less careful in their behavior in nature.