Mum warns parents about the life-threatening dangers from insect-bourne infections after her son nearly died.

Six-year-old Noah was hospitalised last weekend when he had a seizure after complaining of a headache.

“Noah’s lips were blue, eyes fixed looking up and was completely limp, he had a seizure,” LoriAnne Surrett said on Facebook.

Doctors confirmed her little boy was suffering from La Crosse Encephalitis, one of a group of mosquito-transmitted viruses that can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain.

The mother-of-five from Waynesville, North Carolina in the US, said she and her husband took precautions to prevent mosquito bites, like using insect spray, but Noah was still bitten.

“Noah is a spunky little dude that sickness never brings him down so this is breaking all of our hearts,” she wrote.

She told local TV news WLOS that watching him being rushed to hospital was “the scariest thing I’ve every been through in my life”.

She said doctors were hopeful Noah will make a full recovery and he is expected to spend at least five more days in hospital.

The latest update is that Noah is awake and doing well.

“He finally woke up and was responding to me, he talked about snakes, the fire he saw on the tv, and how he wanted to go home. He slept about 3 hours and hes up again and almost back asleep… prayers are working he still has a ways to go but after 5 days not hearing that sweet little voice I swear it was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

By sharing her son’s story, the woman hoped to warn other parents about the potential dangers of mosquito-bourne viruses.

Mosquitoes in Australia also carry disease

Mosquitoes in Australia can also carry diseases that may be passed on to people through mosquito bites.

In Australia, some of these include Murray Valley encephalitis virus, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and dengue virus. Periods of heavy rainfall or floods can led to ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, even in non-tropical areas.

Mosquito-borne diseases can make people ill and, in severe cases, can cause death.

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