Every few years, a new mosquito borne virus seems to show up in the United States.

About 20-years ago, a mosquito borne illness called West Nile Virus began to show up in the US. Some locations took measures to reduce the population of mosquitoes, but that’s virtually impossible as all they need is a tiny amount of standing water for a few days and they can lay eggs, the eggs hatch and develop into adult biting mosquitoes.

In 1999, there were 62 cases of West Nile Virus and they were all located in New York. In 2012, there were nearly 6,000 cases, that included all of the lower 48 states. West Nile Virus is still around and can be fatal to some people.

Around 2015, we began to hear about a new mosquito borne virus – the Zika Virus. It was associated with a severe fetal brain defect. From January 1, 2015 to June 6, 2018, there were 5,701 confirmed cases of Zika Virus in the United State and 37,250 confirmed cases in US territories. Like the West Nile Virus, the Zika virus is still out there and being carried by mosquitoes.

Now, it’s being reported that a new mosquito borne virus has showed up in the United States, it’s called the Keystone Virus. A 16-year-old boy in Florida was confirmed as being the first recorded case of Keystone Virus in the US, although the virus is not new to this country.

It was first discovered in 1964, when it was confirmed in a in young child in Sarasota, Florida. Chances are, there have been many cases, but they were probably misdiagnosed since it is rarely tested for. Since many cases only involve a fever and rash, it’s quite possible there have been many cases, especially in the Florida area that were never tested for Keystone Virus or the people never sought a doctor’s care, largely because of the symptoms being so similar of other illnesses.

In the case of this 16-year-old boy, he was suffering from a fever and rash and doctor’s suspected that he had contracted the Zika Virus, so they tested him to determine if had the Zika Virus or not.

In addition to running a fever and developing a rash, Keystone Virus can cause brain swelling which can be serious.

Which mosquito transmits Keystone Virus?

“The aedes atlanticus mosquito, a cousin to the Zika-spreading aedes aegypti mosquito, is most well-known for carrying the Keystone virus. Aedes infirmatus mosquitoes as well as other aedes and culex species have also known to carry the virus, the Florida Department of Health said.”

Is there a cure for Keystone Virus? NO! Nor is there any specific treatment, however, if symptoms worsen, it is still advised to seek medical care.

The best prevention is to get rid of all standing water around your property. You would be surprised where mosquitoes can breed. A bucket flower pot, bird bath, fish pond and even an empty water-filled tin can, are all mosquitoes need to breed.

Now that authorities know about this recent case, they will probably start testing more for Keystone Virus and if they do, the chances are that this new/old virus will begin to appear more often.