Mosquito-borne Diseases and Data


Some mosquitoborne diseases can spread in Virginia, others through travel within or outside the United States. Travelers should be aware of disease risks in countries they plan to visit by checking any current travel notices. There may be vaccines or medication available that can prevent some mosquitoborne diseases, so talk with your healthcare team before international travel.    

Virginia is home to dozens of species of mosquitoes; some of which can transmit diseases to people or pets. 

Which diseases are caused by mosquitoes?

We can track mosquitoborne disease by studying mosquitoes, animals, and by human cases as reported to the health department. There are some diseases that we regularly see in people, animals, and mosquitoes in Virginia. We call these endemic diseases. There are a handful of endemic mosquitoborne diseases in Virginia, the most common is West Nile virus.

A person may get sick with a mosquitoborne illness in the area they live. We call this a locally acquired illness. If a person has gotten sick with an illness from recent travel, we call this a travel-associated illness.