Tropical Storm Ida May Have Created Perfect Conditions For A Mosquito Baby Boom

As New York and New Jersey continue recovering from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ida, another nasty consequence may be waiting in the wings: more mosquitoes.

The torrential rain may have washed away any mosquito larvae incubating at the time, but the storm left a lot of water behind, too. Dr. Yesim Tozan of NYU's School of Global Public Health says if the weather stays warm and humid, the region could be in store for a bloodsucking baby boom.

"In a couple of weeks, given conducive temperatures, you would see mosquito population picking up again," Tozan said.

That could mean a greater risk of transmitting mosquito-borne illnesses, like West Nile Virus. But she says there's still time to prevent a surge in the mosquito population by cleaning up any puddles and pools still left from the storm.