Mosquitos are a constant threat to our health, but many people don’t realize that they can carry more than just diseases. Mosquitos are also a danger to our pets, who often get bitten while they're outside playing with their owners. In fact, mosquitos are so dangerous that they can carry several different types of diseases that can be very serious if left untreated.

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous for humans because they can carry a range of diseases, including West Nile virus, dengue fever, chikungunya virus, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis.

Some of these diseases can be fatal if they strike a healthy person. The best way to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes is to wear long sleeves and pants when outside in humid weather.

Mosquitos are known to spread viral diseases, but not all of them are dangerous. Some of the most common mosquitos that carry harmful viruses and bacteria are:

Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito)

Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito)

Anopheles gambiae (African malaria mosquito)

Culex quinquefasciatus (five-spotted leafhopper mosquito)

Dangerous Mosquito-borne diseases

There are also several other mosquito-borne diseases that can be treated with medicine, but these are less common. These include chikungunya virus, yellow fever, West Nile virus and Leishmaniosis and others.

Chikungunya: virus is spread by mosquitoes and causes fever and joint pain in infected people. It is not fatal if you take the right medications. You can get this from drinking water contaminated with droplets from an infected mosquito or touching someone who has been exposed to it.

Yellow fever: cannot be spread by mosquitoes, but it can still cause death if left untreated because it causes severe bleeding into the blood vessels of your body. This type of infection is caused by a virus transmitted through ticks and biting insects such as mosquitos or fleas that have been infected by the yellow fever virus. The best way to avoid getting this disease is preventing bites by using insect repellent on exposed areas of your body and wearing long pants while outside.

Leishmaniosis: is a disease that is caused by Leishmania parasites. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female sandfly. The most common form of this disease is cutaneous, which can occur on the skin, face, or scalp. There are two main types of Leishmaniosis: visceral and mucocutaneous. Visceral leishmaniasis is highly infectious and spreads via the bloodstream to other organs such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal tract. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis occurs when Leishmania parasites infect the skin or mucous membranes of the mouth/nose/throat.

Signs and symptoms include fever, headache, rash and pain in joints (arthritis). If left untreated it could result in death due to organ failure due to septicemia (blood poisoning).

Malaria: This is caused by a parasite transmitted by Plasmodium parasites in the saliva of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever and chills, headache, joint pains and fatigue. It may last three to four months and cause death if left untreated. There is no vaccine for malaria, but it can be prevented with bed nets, insecticide treated clothing and repellents containing DEET or picaridin.

Zika virus: This virus has been linked to microcephaly and other brain abnormalities in infants born to mothers who have contracted Zika during pregnancy or who have taken anti-Zika medication while pregnant (e.g., during their second trimester). Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes; however they may not occur until several days after infection has occurred (in rare cases).