Next

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/mosquito_3.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/mosquito_3.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/mosquito_3.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" >

As temperatures get warmer, a host of pathogens come out of hiding, threatening your summer vacation — and maybe even your life. Case in point: 2012’s mild winter, warm spring and sweltering summer exposed Americans to record-high numbers of insect- and rodent-borne illnesses, such as West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease and hantavirus.

This summer, another bout of hot, dry weather could mean more infection.

"Weather patterns can set the stage for big outbreaks," said Ben Beard, Ph.D., chief of the bacterial diseases branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it’s difficult to predict how dangerous the summer season is going to be because it’s not known how widespread infections currently are among the animal population, he explained.

Still, any time you’re out in nature this summer, you’re risking infection. Read on to find out what to watch for and how to stay safe. Some of the diseases here are rare, but we found it interesting that cases peak as the weather gets warmer.