Mosquitoes aren’t just a problem in tropical destinations. Species have evolved to survive the winter.3
A missed or delayed diagnosis of a mosquito-borne disease can result in long-term complications and death.4-7
In a survey, only 14% of travelers obtained a pretravel health consultation before their trip.8
Number of humans killed annually
Mosquitoes kill 830,000 humans every year9-11
580,000
Human9,12
All calculations have wide error margins.
60,000 Snake9,13
24,200 Sandfly9,14
17,400 Dog9,15
8,000 Kissing bug9,14
4,400 Freshwater snail9,14
3,500 Tsetse fly9,16
3,500 Scorpion9,17
2,700 Ascaris roundworm9,18
1,600 Tapeworm9,19
100 Elephant9,12
100 Lion9,12
60 Bee9,20
50 Tiger9,12
40 Jellyfish9,21
10 Wolf9,22
6 Shark9,23
Number of humans killed annually by:
Mosquito
830,0009-11
Human
580,0009,12
Snake
60,0009,13
Sandfly
24,2009,14
Dog
17,4009,15
Kissing bug
8,0009,14
Freshwater snail
4,4009,14
Tsetse fly
3,5009,16
Scorpion
3,5009,17
Ascaris roundworm
2,7009,18
Tapeworm
1,6009,19
Elephant
1009,12
Lion
1009,12
Bee
609,20
Tiger
509,12
Jellyfish
409,21
Wolf
109,22
Shark
69,23
References: 1. What is a mosquito? Mosquitoes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 5, 2020. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/what-is-a-mosquito.html 2. Mosquitoes in the United States. Mosquitoes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 5, 2020. Accessed March 13, 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/mosquitoes-in-the-us.html 3. Reiter P. Climate change and mosquito-borne disease. Environ Health Perspect. 2001;109(suppl 1):141-161. doi:10.1289/ehp.01109s1141 4. Caraballo H, King K. Emergency department management of mosquito-borne illness: malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus. Emerg Med Pract. 2014;16(5):1-23. 5. Mosquito bites. MedlinePlus. Updated June 27, 2017. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://medlineplus.gov/mosquitobites.html 6. Frequently asked questions (FAQs). Malaria. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 22, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/faqs.html 7. Colpitts TM, Conway MJ, Montgomery RR, Fikrig E. West Nile: biology, transmission, and human infection. Clin Microbial Rev. 2012;25(4):635-648. doi:10.1128/CMR.00045-12 8. Stoney RJ, Kozarsky P, Bostick RM, Sotir MJ. International travellers from New Jersey: piloting a travel health module in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. J Travel Med. 2016;23(1):1-9. doi:10.1093/jtm/tav015 9. Gates B. Mapping the end of malaria. GatesNotes. October 10, 2016. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Mapping-the-End-of-Malaria 10. Vector-borne diseases. World Health Organization. March 2, 2020. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases 11. Malaria. World Health Organization. Updated December 8, 2022. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria 12. Rafferty JP. 9 of the world’s deadliest mammals. Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/list/9-of-the-worlds-deadliest-mammals 13. Global snakebite burden: report by the Director-General. World Health Organization. December 18, 2017. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274115/B142_17-en.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 14. Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016;388(10053):1459-1544. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1 15. Ze L, Zonglin L, Ya’Nan W, et al. Application of a novel nanoemulsion adjuvant for rabies vaccine which stabilizes a Krebs cycle intermediate (SDH) in an animal model. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;15(2):388-396. doi:10.1080/21645515.2018.1531966 16. African trypanosomiasis – level 3 cause. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.healthdata.org/results/gbd_summaries/2019/african-trypanosomiasis-level-3-cause 17. Cheng D. Scorpion envenomation. Medscape. Updated October 15, 2021. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/168230-overview 18. Ascariasis – level 4 cause. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.healthdata.org/results/gbd_summaries/2019/ascariasis-level-4-cause 19. Sorvillo FJ, DeGiorgio C, Waterman SH. Deaths from cysticercosis, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007;13(2):230-235. doi:10.3201/eid1302.060527 20. QuickStats: number of deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, among males and females — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2000–2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68:649. 21. Law Y-H. Jellyfish almost killed this scientist. Now, she wants to save others from their fatal venom. Science. November 8, 2018. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.science.org/content/article/jellyfish-almost-killed-scientist-now-she-wants-save-others-their-fatal-venom 22. Are wolves dangerous to humans? International Wolf Center. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://wolf.org/wolf-info/factsvsfiction/are-wolves-dangerous-to-humans 23. Sharks. Australian Institute of Marine Science. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.aims.gov.au/docs/projectnet/sharks-02.html