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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors can usually identify mosquito bites by sight, particularly during seasons and in warm, humid regions with many mosquitoes.
The red, itchy, painful swelling referred to as skeeter syndrome is sometimes mistaken for a secondary bacterial infection brought on by excessive scratching and broken skin. Skeeter syndrome is actually the result of an allergic reaction to proteins in mosquito saliva. There's no simple blood test to detect mosquito antibodies in blood, so mosquito allergy is diagnosed by history of mosquito exposure followed by large, red areas of swelling and itching.
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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