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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffMosquito bites are the itchy bumps that appear after mosquitos use their mouthparts to puncture your skin and feed on your blood. Most mosquito bites are harmless, but occasionally a mosquito bite causes a large area of swelling, soreness and redness. This type of reaction, most common in children, is sometimes referred to as skeeter syndrome.
Bites from mosquitoes carrying certain viruses or parasites can cause severe illness. Infected mosquitoes in many parts of the world transmit West Nile virus to humans. Other mosquito-borne infections include yellow fever, malaria and some types of brain infection (encephalitis).
References
- Whitehorn C. Mosquito vectors of infectious disease. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 3, 2012.
- Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011.
- Simons E. Large local reactions to mosquito bites (skeeter syndrome). http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 21, 2012.
- Castells MC. Insect bites. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
- Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Sept. 24, 2012.
- Kulthanan K, et al. Mosquito allergy: Clinical features and natural course. Journal of Dermatology. 2010;37:1025.
- Questions and Answers: Insect repellent use and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
- Repellents are an important tool to assist people in protecting themselves from mosquito-borne diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/repellentupdates.htm. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
- New pesticide fact sheet: Picaridin. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-070705_01-May-05.pdf. Accessed Oct. 1, 2012.
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