Is a new mosquito-borne virus making its way to Georgia?

MACON, Ga. -- Mosquito-born diseases can be fatal, and some experts say a warming climate could make things worse.

WGXA spoke with a mosquito expert, Dr. Bruce Snyder, with Georgia College and State University to see if Middle Georgians should be concerned.

Georgia is home to 60 species of mosquitoes, as well as mosquito-borne diseases including West Nile and Zika -- but should Georgians be concerned about the spreading of a new virus known as dengue? A recent study analyzed the current and future distribution of the virus, and the group of people who could also be most at risk for it.

"Dengue can be fatal but it rarely is, so it definitely can affect many more people. Especially if it does get transmitted into the US and become established and really move northward," Snyder said.

Mosquitoes carry and transmit the virus, much like the Zika and yellow fever viruses.

"Dengue is a virus that's transmitted by mosquitoes, specifically a couple of types of the Aedes species. Aedes is the genus, so Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus can transmit the dengue virus. And we do have both of those in Georgia," said Snyder.

Even though those mosquitoes are present in Georgia, the concern becomes the warming climate.

"So as those mosquitoes expand their range and start to move north as it gets warmer, as the climate gets warmer, there's the potential for that virus also to move northward with those mosquitoes," said Snyder.

The dengue virus isn't typically transmitted locally, but rather brought back to the US and is then transmitted.

"Most of the cases in the US are people who have been traveling, who then pick up the virus where they are, then travel back to the US, and then they're diagnosed with the virus here," said Snyder.

Even a brief drought wouldn't help to slow the spread of the dengue virus.

"The adults may go away for a while, but as soon as it rains and those egg laying sites get wet again, then those eggs will hatch and roughly seven days later you get a big flush of mosquitoes coming out," said Snyder.

Snyder says Middle Georgians can protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases by remembering these tips:

• Altering the time of day you go out to avoid mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are mostly active at dawn and dusk, so plan around that if possible.
• Applying insect repellents such as DEET and eucalyptus oil, and apply these regularly anytime you go outside.
• The more you can prevent getting bitten, the more you can prevent transmitting disease.