The World’s Deadliest Animal Still Hunts in Washington State

It is important to remember how to protect yourself because this dangerous animal is even more active in the early fall.

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Washington State: Unseen Dangers of the Outdoors

This summer has been hot, but so far we have been spared mostly from the usual smokey season allowing most people to enjoy the outdoors. The people of Washington State enjoyed long camping trips on their favorite lake, day-long wakeboarding trips, weekend hikes in the mountains, or campfires in the backyard. The funny thing is that most of those activities put you at risk of dying and most people don't even think twice about it or take steps to protect themselves. Especially now that the Fall season is upon us, you need to remember how to protect yourself from the most dangerous animal in the world that is alive and well in Washington State. Do you know what that animal is?

The Most Dangerous Animal in the World Lives in Washington State

The animal I am talking about kills between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people per year, depending on the study or who you ask. According to Statista, the number most deadly animal to humans kills closer to 1 million people per year, and the animal that causes the second most deaths (snakes) is not even close with only 100,000. A lot of people are scared of dogs, and at number 3 they show reason for that fear but still only kill only 30,000 people in the world per year. Most of those deaths from dogs are because of the transfer of rabies, not from a mauling in case you are wondering. If you live in Washington State, you might be guessing spiders about now, but they don't even show up in the top 20. I asked my kids what they thought the most dangerous animal in Washington State was and I got answers like spiders, bears, moose, snakes, or sharks. So what is the most dangerous animal in Washington State?

The Most Dangerous Animal in the Wold: Mosquitoes

Yes, the little & tiny mosquito is responsible for killing around 1 million people per year in the world. All of those people were killed by one of 6 main diseases that can be carried and transferred to humans through a mosquito bite. The worst of these is the disease Malaria which causes fever, chills, headache, vomiting, and death if the patient doesn't get the correct treatment. In 2020 alone there were 627,000 human deaths from malaria according to Statistica. There are over 40 different kinds of mosquitoes that live in Washington State, and they are known to carry West Nile virus, western equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis according to the Washington State Department of Health. Right now, someone reading this is saying "But mosquitoes are not animals" or are they?

Are Mosquitoes Really Animals?

Believe it or not, mosquitoes and all insects are considered animals. According to AZ Animals, "Insects are considered animals because they reproduce sexually, breathe oxygen, consume organic material, and are able to move". They are not just considered animals, but account for 70% of the total species of the earth with over 1,000,000 different species discovered so far. Scientists believe there could be as many as 5,000,000 total insect species with most of them still undiscovered. These little but dangerous animals belong to one of the largest animal groups on our planet.

Fall Evenings Bring More Mosquitos

Fall evenings mean baseball games in the evenings or early morning hikes in Washington State, just make sure you are protected from those little hunters looking for a quick easy meal. There are many different ways that you can protect yourself from mosquitos, but the most obvious is regularly applying a good mosquito repellant that is EPA-Registered. Mosquitos can live both in the city and the deep wilderness, so make sure you are protected especially in the early morning and evenings. What are the other ways to protect yourself and your property from mosquitos?

Get more information about how you can prevent mosquito bites at CDC.gov.