Murderous Mosquitoes

1 million deaths. Per year. That’s the number of lives claimed by the world’s deadliest animal—The mosquito. 

In contrast, sharks kill only 10 people annually, whereas snakes are thought to kill 100,000. At 400,000 each year, even we humans kill less other humans. Are there any medical remedies for these bothersome creatures, and why are they so deadly?

Say Hello to My Little Enemy

In theory, this small bug is not very effective at killing by itself. Rather, its ability to spread viruses or other parasites that cause terrible illnesses is what makes it so hazardous. Over the course of human history, those illnesses have killed up to 52 billion people.

Every year, malaria alone, transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, kills 600,000 people (mainly children) and incapacitates another 200 million.

When you are bitten by a mosquito carrying microscopic parasites, you can contract malaria. The mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream when it bites. Malaria is then brought on by these parasites, leading to serious health issues like convulsions, brain damage, breathing difficulties, organ failure, and even death if treatment is not received.

Dengue is another mosquito-borne illness that affects 100 to 400 million people annually. In contrast to malaria, dengue is a virus that infects humans through mosquitoes. Surprisingly, the majority of dengue patients show no symptoms. However, the most typical symptoms for those who do include rash, headache, body aches, nausea, and a high temperature. Some patients suffer severe dengue and require medical care, but the majority recover in 1-2 weeks. Dengue can be lethal in extreme circumstances.

P.S.

Have you ever had the impression that mosquitoes prefer your blood over others? Yes, it might be the case! Certain people are frequently more attractive to mosquitoes than others because of things like body temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide in exhaled breath. Many cases of severe dengue and malaria during pregnancy are caused by mosquitoes, which appear to prefer pregnant women in particular.

Can We Stop The Mosquito Army?

Unfortunately, the majority of mosquito-borne diseases, except malaria, have no known cure; instead, supportive care and symptomatic treatment are the cornerstones of treatment.

For the antimalarial medication, it works by eliminating the malaria parasites in your liver or red blood cells before they become unmanageable. Even after taking the medication, you can still contract malaria. However, taking them reduces your risk of illness by almost 90%. Keep in mind that there is no vaccine for malaria, thus the medications are not a vaccination!

Mosquitoes Heating Up

The number of dengue cases has increased eightfold since 2000. We are already seeing the indirect effects of extreme weather events like floods, but more research is needed to determine the direct effects of climate change on the spread of malaria. These offer mosquitoes ideal breeding grounds and may aid in the transmission of their viruses to higher elevations and latitudes.

Less obvious effects include the potential for local mosquito breeding grounds and illness risk to rise when households save water in response to drought. Changes in land use can also encourage migration to urban areas, putting more people at risk of severe dengue and other diseases spread by mosquitoes.

Prevention Is Better Than The Cure

All mosquitoes require water to finish developing, and some may do so by using tiny water-holding containers close to your house. Water-holding containers can be removed or disposed of in the spring to lessen mosquito breeding grounds and avoid disease!

Reference List‌

Bethune, B. (2019). The mosquito has killed billions and changed our DNA—and it’s going to get worse - Macleans.ca. [online] Macleans.ca. Available at: https://macleans.ca/culture/books/mosquito-killed-billions-changed-dna/.

ISGlobal. (2017). Mosquitoes: World’s Deadliest Animal. [online] Available at: https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/mosquito-el-animal-mas-letal-del-mundo. ‌

Services, D. of H. & H. (n.d.). Protect yourself from mosquito-borne disease. [online] www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/protect-yourself-mosquito-borne-disease. ‌

Singhealth.com.sg. (2019). Mosquito borne infections. [online] Available at: https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/conditions-treatments/Mosquito-borne-infections 

WonderHowTo. (2017). New Method Can Stop Malaria Spread — Even After It’s in the Body. [online] Available at: https://invisiverse.wonderhowto.com/news/new-method-can-stop-malaria-spread-even-after-its-body-0178697/. ‌