Key Symptoms of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Central America

As many areas of Central America enter the rainy season, the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease increases. Mosquitoes take advantage of pools of standing water to lay their eggs and their numbers grow significantly.

In addition to taking precautions to avoid being bitten, such as wearing long clothes and insect repellent, it is important to be able to recognize the key symptoms of some of the most common mosquito-borne diseases.

Although the strain of malaria found in Central America is rarely fatal, the disease is present in the region. Patients who report flu-like symptoms such as fever, sweats, chills, headache, muscle pain, nausea and diarrhea should see a doctor. Symptoms sometimes take a few months to manifest themselves, so it is important to remain conscious of your health even after returning from affected areas.

Dengue is another common disease, and patients who report fever, headaches or severe joint, bone and muscular pain should seek medical attention. These symptoms give dengue its painful-sounding nickname: Breakbone Fever.

Another growing threat to health in the region is the Chikungunya virus, and its symptoms are largely similar to those of dengue fever. Chikungunya patients will display symptoms three to seven days after infection, and while the virus rarely leads to death, the severe fever and joint pains leave many sufferers disabled for a week or longer.

Patients have reported repeated bouts of debilitating joint pain which continue for months, vastly reducing their quality of life.

Recently another threat has started to move through South America, and although there have been no cases recorded at the time of writing, Central America is on high alert for cases of the Zika virus. It is closely related to dengue and is generally mild, with patients displaying fever, headache, rashes and conjunctivitis.