Most Dangerous Animal in the World is With Us This Fall Across New England

Scary, right?  Well, yes and no.  We all relish in our summer clam bakes and BBQs, beach outings and camping trips, outdoor summer concerts and evening strolls, al fresco dining, and evening glasses of wine on the deck or while boating.  And who always joins us?  Or should I say "what" always joins us?  Those pesky mosquitoes.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls mosquitos the "World's Deadliest Animal".  And if you think about it, it makes sense. We just never really think about those annoying insects as such, but rather swat them away, buy buzz zappers and citronella candles to limit their nuisance, use bug spray, and just accept them as part of the season.  However, Mosquito Reviews says the annual worldwide death toll is more than 2.5 million people.  There is no other animal on earth with that kind of deadly power.

According to Pfizer, mosquitos cause over 700,000 deaths each year just from Malaria. However, there are six different diseases that can come from a single mosquito bite, all of which are potentially deadly: Malaria, West Nile Virus, Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever, and Chikungunya.  All six diseases have a variety of symptoms from aches, pains, and a fever to the sensation of thinking your bones are breaking, inflammation of the brain to organ issues, restrictions, and death.  To be honest, I relate those diseases to other parts of the world, and that is true, with 90% of those deaths being in Africa, according to Mosquito Reviews. America sees around 2,000 cases of mosquito-borne illnesses annually, with less than 10 deaths a year.