As mosquito season ramps up across Texas, health officials are warning residents to brace for increased mosquito activity and heightened risks of mosquito-borne diseases following recent severe storms.
With flooding and warm, humid weather creating ideal breeding grounds, experts say the threat is not just about annoying bites—it’s about life-threatening viruses.
“Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on the planet,” said Bethany Bolling, a mosquito virus expert with the Texas Department of State Health Services, in an interview with KXAN.
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Why Mosquito Populations Are a Public Health Crisis
While many associate mosquitoes with irritation, these tiny insects cause more than 700,000 deaths globally each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
They spread devastating diseases, including:
- Malaria (over 600,000 deaths annually)
- West Nile virus
- Zika virus
- Dengue
- Chikungunya
“We’ve seen the weather changing over the years here in Austin, and as a result, we’ve seen mosquito seasons running longer than before,” said Marcel Elizondo, chief of Austin’s Environmental Health Services division, in comments reported by the Austin American-Statesman.
