The U.S. is woefully ill-equipped for an onslaught of mosquito-borne illnesses, the CDC says

A mosquito.
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The number of illnesses from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas tripled between 2004 and 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.

Diseases like West Nile virus, Zika, Lyme disease, and yellow fever have spiked in the U.S. In 2004, about 27,000 cases of insect-borne illnesses were reported, but more than 96,000 cases were confirmed in 2016. Worryingly, officials reported Tuesday that the nation's health-care systems are not well-equipped to handle the huge increase in incidences of these previously-obscure conditions.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.