According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Americans getting diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick and flea bites has more than tripled in recent years.
Health officials reported on Tuesday that since 2004, at least nine such diseases have been discovered or introduced in the country, with 642,602 cases reported during the 13 years from 2004 through 2016.
Scientists also discovered seven new germs spread as a result of an infected tick's bite in that time frame.
“Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea—have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don’t know what will threaten Americans next,” Robert R. Redfield, CDC director, said in a news release. “Our Nation’s first lines of defense are state and local health departments and vector control organizations, and we must continue to enhance our investment in their ability to fight against these diseases.”
Researchers analyzed data reported to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System for 16 notifiable vector-borne diseases but note that many infections aren’t reported or recognized, so it’s difficult to estimate the overall burden.
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