Hurricane Milton in the United States creates favorable conditions for the active breeding of mosquitoes, which can trigger a surge in diseases such as dengue fever and malaria, Newsweek reports, citing an expert.
“Hurricanes and extreme weather events can have a significant impact on mosquito populations,” Imelda Moise, a geography professor at the University of Miami, told the publication.
Hurricanes can cause mosquito populations to explode by creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding: high humidity and nutrient-rich floodwaters, she said.
“Our recent study found an increase in mosquito populations immediately after the hurricane in Miami-Dade County, increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases,” Moise said. Among the possible diseases that mosquitoes can infect humans, she lists dengue fever, Zika fever, malaria and West Nile virus.
The exact question of how long this increased risk persists after a hurricane is still the subject of active research.
