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Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
These cities are most likely to see an explosion in disease-spreading pests: study
The Brief Ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents pose serious health risks, experts say. Here's where you're most likely to see pest problems in coming months. A rollercoaster of record-breaking cold, warmth, snow and rain has public health and pest control experts looking at health threats from pests nationwide. According to the bi-annual Public Health Pest Index from the National Pest Management Association, 11 cities are at a high risk for upticks in disease-spreading pests. These pests include ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents like rat and mice. "Ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rodents pose serious health risks," said Dr. Jorge Parada, Medical Advisor for NPMA with a focus on infectious disease. "They can spread dangerous diseases like Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Salmonella, plague, and hantavirus, and even trigger asthma and allergies. Educating the public on these threats is critical, because without proper prevention, these pests can have serious consequences on our health." RELATED: Ultra-rare, giant rat that cracks coconuts with its teeth caught on camera for first time Boston: The NPMA says brutal snowstorms and mid-winter cold snaps push rodents indoors in search of warmth and food sources. With spring expected to be warmer this year, ticks may get a jumpstart to the season, "putting outdoor enthusiasts at risk sooner than expected." Cleveland: According to the NPMA, the mild, soggy conditions are ideal for a rise in cockroaches and ticks. Denver: The snow-packed Denver winter will have mice scurrying into homes to find warm shelter. RELATED: Ticks use static electricity to latch on to you from afar, researchers find Florida: Florida's dry winter has sent cockroaches indoors in search of food and moisture, while the historic cold snaps in the northern part of the state have driven rodents inside for shelter. Mosquito activity was lowered by the winter weather, but they'll be back soon, the NPMA says. Grand Rapids: Rats and mice will rush indoors in search of warmth thanks to record-breaking snowfall. Tick populations are also expected to rise to dangerous levels with a rainy spring. Louisville: Louisville saw extreme cold and historic snowfall, too, bringing rats and mice indoors for food and warmth. A predicted warm spring also doesn't bode well for tick season. New Orleans: Like much of the South, the New Orleans area's historic snowfall has rats and cockroaches searching for shelter in homes. Mosquitoes are also expected to make a "fierce comeback" soon. Salt Lake City: House mice and white-footed mice are searching nearby homes and businesses, looking for warmth and water sources. San Antonio: It's been a record-breaking warm winter in San Antonio, allowing mosquitoes, cockroaches, and ticks to stay active, raising the risk of a pest boom come spring. "Expect an early surge in bites, infestations, and pest-related health concerns," the NPMA says. Seattle: Seattle's warmer and drier winter could increase rodent and cockroach activity indoors as they search for water sources. Once spring rain kicks in, tick populations could rise. Washington, DC: The nation's capital has seen a rollercoaster of a winter – from unusually warm to heavy snowfall – and that's made rodent pressure skyrocket. "If spring arrives early, tick activity will surge, posing an increased health risk for the region," the NPMA says. The Source This report includes information from the National Pest Management Association's Public Health Pest Index.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
These US cities could see surge in disease-spreading pests this spring
Deviations from normal weather patterns are putting several regions in the U.S. at risk for an uptick of disease-spreading pests as winter turns to spring, according to a new analysis. A surge in disease-spreading pests like ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and rodents is expected in regions that experienced especially warm or wet winters this season, according to the National Pest Management Association's bi-annual Public Health Pest Index. These pests can spread dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Salmonella, plague, and hantavirus, said Jorge Parada, medical adviser for NPMA with a focus on infectious disease, in a statement. These types of pests can also trigger asthma and allergies, Parada said. MORE: The pros and cons of spraying pesticides to keep disease-carrying mosquito populations down Warm winters typically allows more rats to survive, while unusual weather patterns -- such as snow in New Orleans -- can present a host of new pest problems, Jim Fredericks, senior vice president of public affairs for NPMA, told ABC News. Ticks and mosquitoes survive better when it is moist, so regions that experienced especially wet winters will likely see those pests on the rise during the spring, Fredericks said. "If the temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, ticks will be active and in search of food," Fredericks said. MORE: How scientists are tracking mosquitoes that could be carrying deadly diseases Changes in climate -- both in terms of warmer temperatures as well as the extreme weather events occurring as global temperatures rise -- will have a greater impact on the threats these pests pose in the future, Fredericks said. The range for pests like ticks are also spreading due to warmer temperatures, Fredericks said. The top U.S. cities named on the pest index include: Boston: "Brutal" snowstorms and cold snaps pushed rodents indoors in search of warmth and food sources, according to the NPMA. In addition, a forecasted warmer start to spring could give ticks a jumpstart to the season. Cleveland: "Mild, soggy conditions" during the winter could allow for pest populations like cockroaches and ticks to flourish as temperatures rise, the analysis found. "The pathogens that they carry that could cause food-borne illness," Fredericks said, adding that rodent dander and urine can also exacerbate asthma symptoms. Denver: "A frigid and snow-packed" start to the season will likely drive house mice into homes and businesses, while white-footed mice activity inside structures could increase in rural areas, according to the NPMA. "The white-footed mouse is actually one of the vectors for hantavirus," Fredericks said. Grand Rapids, Michigan: "Record-breaking" snowfall is expected to drive rats and mice indoors, and heavy rain forecasted for the area could lead to a rise in tick populations as temperatures rise, according to the NPMA. Louisville, Kentucky: Rats and mice are expected to enter structures due to extreme cold and historic snowfall. Tick activity may also begin earlier than usual due to a warm spring. New Orleans: Historic snowfall in the region sent rats and cockroaches into homes, and mosquitoes are expected to make a "fierce comeback" as temperatures climb, the analysis found. Salt Lake City: Winter conditions could send house mice and white-footed mice indoors. San Antonio: "Record-breaking warmth" during the winter allowed mosquitoes, cockroaches and ticks to stay active, and a "pest boom" is expected come spring -- with a surge in bites, infestations and pest-related health concerns forecasted. Seattle: A warm, dry start to winter could lead to an increase in rodent and cockroach activity indoors and an increase in tick populations could occur with the spring rains, according to the NPMA. Washington, D.C.: A "rollercoaster" winter that started unusually warm and ended in heavy snowfall has made rodent activity climb significantly in the nation's capital, the report states. Tick populations could surge if spring arrives early. Florida: The group has issued a statewide warning for Florida, pointing to the Sunshine State's humid climate that allows disease-carrying pests to thrive year-round, the report stated. Although the winter brought dry, cool conditions, a surge is expected this spring as rising temperatures and humidity create ideal breeding conditions. "We have all of the mosquito species here," Ryan Carney, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida's Department of Integrative Biology, told ABC News. "There's a huge diversity, over 90 species of mosquitoes. Fourteen of those are anopheles, which spread malaria." Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on the planet, killing more than 1 million people per year from the diseases they carry, and Florida is no stranger to outbreaks of mosquito-borne illness. In 2023, nearly 200 people contracted dengue fever, and there were more than 1,500 cases of Zika in the state from 2016 to 2018, Carney said. MORE: 'Super' mosquitoes have now mutated to withstand insecticides, scientists say A citizen science project run by USF creates artificial intelligence algorithms to help identify and stop disease-carrying mosquitoes before they are able to infect humans and other large mammals. "These citizen sciences, especially for mosquitoes, are a way that people can report these sightings of mosquitoes or mosquito bites, and that helps us scientists understand the biodiversity of mosquitoes in the area," Carney said. These US cities could see surge in disease-spreading pests this spring originally appeared on
