What is Mosquito Bites?

Mosquitoes are the insects responsible for the majority of insect bites globally. They are part of the Culicidae family and can be found everywhere in the world, except Antarctica. While the bites themselves are usually harmless, mosquitoes carry and spread a growing number of diseases, making them a genuine public health concern.

What Causes Mosquito Bites?

There are three main types of mosquitoes that usually bite humans: Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes. You often find these mosquitoes around still water, which they need to complete their life cycle. Only the larger female mosquitoes bite people because they need the nourishment from blood to produce eggs.

Each type of mosquito has its own unique feeding habits. Some are more active during the day and are drawn to dark clothing. However, when they get close to a person, they are guided by our smell, the carbon dioxide we breathe out, and a substance called lactic acid on our skin.

It’s generally agreed that some people are more attractive to mosquitoes because of sweat glands, fragrances and even alcohol. An interesting small study revealed that individuals who have had some alcohol tend to attract more mosquitoes.

Risk Factors and Frequency for Mosquito Bites

It’s hard to say exactly how many people are bitten by mosquitoes each year, since many cases aren’t reported. A study by the American Association Of Poison Control Centers was able to identify only 252 reported instances. What we do know for certain is that diseases spread by mosquitoes are a major health issue, with 700 million infections and around a million deaths every year.

Some small studies suggest that males and adults may be more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes than females and children. However, we need more large-scale studies to confirm this.

Signs and Symptoms of Mosquito Bites

Diagnosing mosquito bites is usually straightforward and typically involves asking the patient about their symptoms and examining their skin. Patients can often recall experiencing a bite, even though mosquito bites themselves are not painful, particularly when compared with bites from other types of insects. The bites usually appear as round bumps on the skin, often with a mark from the bite in the center. But if the patient scratches the bites a lot, it may become harder to see these telltale signs.

Testing for Mosquito Bites

Currently, scientists are working to create extracts from mosquitos that can be used for diagnostic testing. However, these extracts are not very effective and contain inconsistent levels of antigens, the substances that trigger an immune response.

For now, the usual way to test if someone has a mosquito-borne illness in clinical trials is the mosquito bite test. This test uses lab-grown mosquitoes that don’t carry any diseases. However, this method has its limits due to the difficulty in obtaining disease-free mosquitoes.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most reactions to mosquito bites are mild and get better on their own, so testing usually isn’t necessary. Plus, by the time someone gets a check-up for a potential mosquito-borne illness, any skin symptoms they had may have already gone away.

Treatment Options for Mosquito Bites

Recent smaller studies have tested medicines to help alleviate the symptoms of mosquito bites. Today, cetirizine, an antihistamine that can help reduce itching and swelling, is commonly recommended for this purpose. Additionally, loratadine, another type of antihistamine, has also been shown to be effective in children, according to one study focused on this age group. Some studies suggest that starting these medications before coming into contact with mosquitoes can prevent symptoms.

There is a need for more research to investigate the effectiveness of treatments like topical glucocorticoids and leukotriene receptor antagonists. Topical glucocorticoids are creams or ointments containing steroids used to reduce inflammation and have shown promise in treating other insect bites. Therefore, they’re suggested for use for more severe mosquito bites. In cases of intense reactions, oral glucocorticoids, which are pills or liquid medications containing steroids, may be considered as one would for dealing with other severe allergic reactions.

Usually, it’s easy to tell when you’ve been bitten by an insect. But sometimes, other skin conditions that cause itching can be mistaken for insect bites.

Mosquito bites, in particular, can often get mixed up with a skin infection called bacterial cellulitis. This confusion happens more often in young kids, who might have bigger reactions to mosquito bites. Remember, mosquito bites typically show up within hours, while cellulitis takes days to develop. Plus, cellulitis tends to occur when the bite area has been scratched a lot.

What to expect with Mosquito Bites

The discomfort from mosquito bites usually fades away on its own in less than ten days. However, illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes can result in more severe health issues. The outlook for these illnesses depends on the specific disease the mosquito carries.

Possible Complications When Diagnosed with Mosquito Bites

There are a few uncommon complications that we need to be aware of. The first one is anaphylaxis. Whilst it is exceptionally rare, it’s crucial to identify and treat it quickly. ‘Skeeter Syndrome’ is another condition that can happen, particularly in young people or those with a compromised immune system. This syndrome produces symptoms such as fever and large patches of redness on the skin, appearing only a few hours after being bitten by a mosquito. Interestingly, it’s not likely to be cellulitis as the symptoms appear too fast.

Another issue noted mainly in East Asian medical reports is ‘Hypersensitivity to Mosquito Bites’ or HMB. The condition mainly affects people with ongoing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections and is characterized by an intense reaction to mosquito bites. Symptoms include forming of large blisters, skin decay, high fever, and a general feeling of being unwell. While the patient usually recovers from these episodes, there is a risk of developing a severe histiocytosis – a type of cancer – which could be fatal.

Anaphylaxis: Very rare but needs quick treatment
Skeeter syndrome: In young or immunocompromised patients, characterized by fever and wide skin redness after a bite
Hypersensitivity to Mosquito Bites (HMB): Primarily in patients with EBV infections, symptoms include blistering, skin decay, high fever, and malaise, risk of malignancy

Preventing Mosquito Bites

The best way to avoid the effects of mosquito bites, including possible diseases, is to avoid getting bitten in the first place. You can do this by wearing clothes that cover your arms and legs and steering clear of mosquitos during their peak hours, which are usually at dusk and dawn.

In many developing countries, people use mosquito nets to protect themselves from being bitten while they sleep. These nets are a common gift at baby showers in Latin America, where they’re often referred to as “la mosquetera”. If these nets are coated with a chemical called permethrin, they’re even more effective. However, extra care needs to be taken when using these treated nets around infants to prevent them from coming into contact with potentially harmful chemicals.

DEET (diethyltoluamide) is a type of mosquito repellent that’s widely recommended and used. It works by producing a smell and taste that mosquitos don’t like, which discourages them from biting. DEET is generally safe when used responsibly, but it shouldn’t be left on overnight or applied to the face, particularly in children, who are more susceptible to toxic effects. Picaridin is a newer type of mosquito repellent that works as well as DEET but doesn’t have an unpleasant smell.

Before DEET was introduced, citronella was a popular choice for repelling insects. However, research has shown that while citronella can provide protection for about an hour, DEET can protect users for up to 8 hours.

Big efforts have been made to eradicate mosquitos completely, including spraying areas of standing water and getting rid of small puddles, which can act as mosquito breeding grounds. These efforts have been particularly successful in the US, where they’ve greatly reduced the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases.