When you think about the most deadly animal in the world, what creatures come to mind? A great white shark? Venomous snakes? Crocodile? Hippopotamus? Mankind? Nope, not even close.
The most dangerous creature is also one of the most annoying: the mosquito. Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project says that mosquitoes have killed more human beings than all the wars, famines and natural disasters throughout history combined—that’s more humans than are alive in the world today.
If you’re not intimidated by those tiny bugs, you should be. According to the World Health Organization, in 2012 there were between 135 million to 287 millions cases of mosquito-caused malaria, and 473,000 to 789 000 malaria deaths. According to the American Mosquito Control Association over one million people worldwide die every year from all mosquito-borne diseases. Not only do humans suffer from mosquitoes mosquito-borne diseases, our dogs and cats fall prey to mosquitoes, including heartworms.
Mosquitoes not only transmit disease, they can cause allergic responses in sensitive cats.
While heartworms were once thought to be specifically a transmitted by mosquitoes to dogs only, but we now know that unprotected cats are at risk of being infected with heartworm larvae too. Unlike dogs, who develop a spaghetti bowl of worms in the heart, cats develop Heartworm-Associated Respiratory Disease affecting the lungs. There is no cure, and vets can only treat the symptoms.
It’s almost impossible to diagnose in cats. Tests are notoriously inaccurate. Veterinarians often mistake symptoms like coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, exhaustion, vomiting and loss of appetite, for asthma or another respiratory ailments. Some heartworm cats never show any symptoms at all. Somewhere between 10% and 17% of HARD kitties die with no symptoms at all. HARD cats can also succumb to blood clots in the lungs.
Indoor cats aren’t exempt. Mosquitoes can sneak in through a hole in the screen or as you close the door. In one North Carolina study, 28 percent of the cats diagnosed with adult heartworms were inside-only.
Protect your cat and dog with a monthly application of preventatives.like Revolution or AdvantageMulti. Also be diligent about emptying containers with standing water.
For more information about the world’s most dangerous creature, check out www.mosquito.org.
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