The hospitalization last summer of Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with West Nile virus—and his account of it this week in the New York Times—have helped raise public awareness of the dangers of mosquito borne-illness, which can range from Zika and malaria to dengue and West Nile virus. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, "Mild winters, early springs, and warmer temperatures are giving mosquitoes and ticks more time to reproduce, spread diseases, and expand their habitats throughout the United States.
" Driven in part by climate change, epidemics from mosquito-spread viruses are occurring with increasing frequency . As of Oct. 1, 880 U.
S. cases of West Nile virus were reported this year, according to the CDC, and West Nile virus continues to be the leading U.S.
cause of viral disease spread by insects. West Nile is not the only mosquito-borne disease making headlines. This month, California public health officials warned of an "unprecedented" spread of dengue fever .
In August, a New Hampshire man died of Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE. CNN summarized: "This summer has brought a flurry of warnings about cases of mosquito-borne illnesses, including malaria, dengue, and Eastern equine encephalitis." Yet very few (15%) among the American public worry that they or their families will contract dengue or West Nile virus over the next three months, according to the latest Annenberg Publ.