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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffMosquitoes — and mosquito bites — are annoying. What's worse, mosquito bites sometimes transmit serious diseases, such as West Nile virus, malaria and dengue fever.
You're most likely to get mosquito bites at dawn or at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. But, it's not always possible or desirable to stay indoors during those times. Fortunately, you can take steps to keep mosquitoes at bay.
However, no method is foolproof. If you do get bitten, the telltale signs and symptoms of mosquito bites — redness, swelling and itching — may not show up for up to two days after you've been bitten.
A number of treatments, such as oral antihistamines and topical lotions, can ease the itch from mosquito bites.
- Castells MC. Insect bites. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Whitehorn C. Mosquito vectors of infectious disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part I: Mosquitoes). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192842131-3/0/1483/377.html?tocnode=54236352&fromURL=377.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Beware of bug bites and stings. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048022.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part II: Diseases). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192894961-2/0/1483/378.html?tocnode=54236358&fromURL=378.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03228-5..50047-1--cesec11_2157. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- West Nile virus facts. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/pest/wnv_facts.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Mosquito control and West Nile virus. National Biological Information Infrastructure. http://westnilevirus.nbii.gov/mosquitoes.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Mosquitoes. In: Habif TB. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0845&uniq=192842131&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=977693082. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Active ingredients found in insect repellants. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/ai_insectrp.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part III: Mosquito control). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192894961-2/0/1483/379.html?tocnode=54236406&fromURL=379.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- West Nile virus — QA: Insect repellent use and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 13, 2010.
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