Ask A Scientist© Zoology Archive

age          40s

Question -   I was biten by a mosquito (?) or a small flying insect in
my arm near the wrist today during mountain hikes at Pacific NW in the
Olympic Penisula.  A small raised dot just like a regular mosquito bite
swelled to 1.5 inch diameter and warm in about 1 hour.

Does it mean the bite is poisonous? And to what extend?  Any disease that
can link to this type of bite?  I am very attracted to mosquitos but never
swelled like this.

Thank you,

 lee

The swelling and warmth that can develop around a bug bite is your body's
own immune defenses going to the rescue to kill anything that doesn't
belong there.  A strong immune response doesn't necessarily mean that a
bite is poisonous.

In some geographic areas, mosquitoes can carry diseases like malaria or
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus.  I'm not sure what (if anything) tends
to be transmitted by mosquitoes in the Pacific Northwest.  If you're
concerned, see your doctor.
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Christine Ticknor
Ph.D. Student
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
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