Mosquito bite

The life cycle of a mosquito

A beautiful evening at the lake can quickly turn into a nightmare due to mosquitoes. Why mosquitoes can be found mainly around bodies of water can be explained by their life cycle.
The female mosquito lays her eggs on the surface of slow-flowing or stagnant water. Small larvae hatch after just 1-2 days and live under water for the next 2 weeks, feeding on algae, plankton, bacteria and other microorganisms. After this time they pupate and swim on the water surface. Adult mosquitoes hatch from these pupae within 1-4 days.

Adult mosquitoes feed mainly on flower nectar. Only when female mosquitoes lay eggs do they have to resort to blood. The proteins contained in the blood are essential for egg production and maturation. However, humans are not a mosquito’s first choice when looking for blood. It is mostly animals that are bitten. Mosquitoes can take blood from almost all animals, regardless of whether they are warm or cold. Some mosquito species even bite fish.

mosquito bites

Mosquitoes are most active at dusk . They are attracted to the carbon dioxide that you produce when you breathe from up to 35 meters away. Once near a potential source of blood, they are attracted by movement, color, and body odor (sweat, perfume, etc.).

Once they have found the source they want, they use their proboscis to find the appropriate puncture site. It only serves as a guide and bends back before the actual stitch. With small piercing tools, they can now reach the bloodstream with small sawing movements. Because small wounds heal quickly from blood clots, they inject a small amount of their own saliva into the skin to prevent blood from clotting. So you can take the desired 0.001-0.01 mL of blood without any problems. This saliva is foreign to the body and triggers an immune reaction with redness and itching .

Symptoms of a mosquito bite

Mosquito bites are annoying, but in most cases they are completely harmless . Some people have no symptoms at all after a mosquito bite. Often these are elderly people whose body has become accustomed to the many mosquito bites over the course of their lives and has down-regulated the immune response.
The classic picture of a mosquito bite is a small red bump or wheal that is severely itchy . Sometimes small blisters or dark spots resembling a bruise can also appear. These symptoms go away after a few days.

In rare cases, the immune reaction can overshoot and lead to what is known as anaphylaxis – an acute allergic reaction. It can be recognized by swelling of the throat, shortness of breath or hives. These symptoms are usually not caused by mosquitoes, but by other insects.
A rather rare picture is skeeter syndrome , a local allergic reaction to mosquito bites with inflammation or even fever. This mainly affects children whose immune systems have not yet come into frequent contact with mosquitoes. Even rarer, but all the more dangerous, is the ” Servere mosquito bite allergy syndrome “.”, which is associated with a severe immune response to mosquito venom and may be associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

duration

Most mosquito bites heal on their own within a few days . Scratching can cause skin abrasions, which in turn can become infected with bacteria. An infected mosquito bite often takes longer to heal completely and can lead to scarring.

Mosquitoes as carriers of diseases

Mosquitoes can transmit viruses and other pathogens with their bites. The risk of this is particularly high in tropical and subtropical regions. Before you plan a trip, you should therefore find out about the local infection risks and seek advice from a doctor on recommended vaccinations and preventive measures.
The transmitted diseases include, for example:

• Malaria
  Malaria-causing parasites (Plasmodium) are transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. More than a million people worldwide die from malaria every year. 300-500 million people are infected annually.
• Chikungunya
  Chikungunya is caused by the Chikungunya virus and is associated with fever and severe joint pain. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and is particularly prevalent in southeastern parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and India.
• Dengue fever Dengue
  fever occurs in tropical and subtropical climates and can cause sharp rises in temperature as well as headaches, muscle, bone and limb pain. It usually lasts only for a short time, but it can also lead to death due to serious complications.
• Yellow fever Yellow
  fever is found primarily in some parts of Africa and in Central and South America. It can have mild but also severe courses, which have shaped the name due to the involvement of the liver.
• Zika virus
  A Zika virus infection is usually asymptomatic, but can be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. The infection is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, since the virus can be transmitted to the unborn child and cause problems in the development of the brain and a reduction in the circumference of the head.

When should I see a doctor after a mosquito bite?

If you have difficulty breathing or see hives all over your body after a mosquito bite, it’s possible that you’re suffering from an acute allergic reaction to the mosquito saliva. If you’ve just returned from a trip to the tropics and develop a fever or nausea, mosquito-borne diseases could be the cause. In either case, you should seek urgent medical attention.

What can you do about mosquito bites?

Unfortunately, there is no magical stitch healer. However, after being bitten by a mosquito, there are a few things you can do to relieve the symptoms:

• Cooling instead of scratching Scratching
  causes small wounds in your skin that can become inflamed. It is therefore important to avoid scratching a mosquito bite. The symptoms can even be aggravated by manipulation, in which the itching-triggering mosquito saliva is further distributed. Cooling can relieve the itching. For example, you can use ice cubes that you have previously wrapped in a kitchen towel. Aloe Vera also has a cooling effect. Cold constricts the blood vessels, which has a decongestant effect.
• With heat against itching
  It has been shown that the direct application of heat to a fresh mosquito bite can alleviate the symptoms. You can use dedicated tools that are hot enough to inactivate the mosquito saliva proteins, but will not cause burns.
• For more severe symptoms, you can buy creams from the pharmacy that reduce the body’s immune response. These include gels with an antihistamine or cortisone . Histamine causes the swelling and itching from a mosquito bite.

The most important way to avoid mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent the bite.

• Avoid being outside during mosquito peak season ( twilight ).
• Cover breeding sites for mosquitoes. The rain barrel or a clogged gutter are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Wear long, light-colored clothing . Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes.
• Make sure your windows and doors are properly closed, or protect yourself with mosquito screens . You can also purchase mosquito nets to put around your bed.
• Apply mosquito repellant spray sparingly to exposed areas of your body. If you’re not wearing puncture-resistant clothing, apply some under clothing as well. Here, however, it is said: more does not help anymore. How long the spray keeps mosquitoes away depends on the agent used, not how much you use. The gold standard of mosquito repellent sprays has been the active ingredient N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide ( DEET ) for many years. You should check the ingredients in your bug spray to gauge its effectiveness. There are also natural mosquito sprays that are based on essential oils. They do not last as long as synthetic substances and could cause more allergic reactions.
• Citronella is found in many anti-mosquito candles or torches . They work best when there is no wind. Citronella is less effective on clothing or skin.
• Mosquito repellent sprays are used to mask body odor. Avoid perfumes or heavily scented creams.

Treatment of mosquito bites

Since mosquito bites usually heal within a few days without any consequences, it is usually not necessary to seek medical advice. However, if you suffer severely from the symptoms of mosquito bites, you can discuss with your doctor whether therapy with antihistamines , for example, is an option for you.

Here’s how Med-Healths can help

Discovered an itchy reddening on your skin and not sure if it’s a mosquito bite? You can send a photo of it directly to a doctor via Med-Healths. In this way you can rule out other diseases that cause a similar clinical picture. If you suspect that the redness is caused by another, serious illness, the doctor can advise you directly and, if necessary, issue you with a referral to experts.