They are small, familiar and often dismissed as little more than an annoyance. But mosquitoes can transmit some of the world’s most serious diseases.
On World Mosquito Day, observed on August 20, the World Health Organization is reminding people that mosquito bites can spread illnesses including malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya and West Nile fever.
The risk is not limited to tropical countries.
WHO says mosquito-borne diseases have increasingly been reported in temperate regions as well. Warmer temperatures, humidity, flooding, global travel and trade can all contribute to mosquitoes and the diseases they carry appearing in new areas.
Different mosquitoes, different diseases
Not all mosquitoes transmit the same infections.
Anopheles mosquitoes can spread malaria, while Aedes mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Culex mosquitoes are among those capable of spreading West Nile virus.
That means a mosquito bite can be much more than an itchy inconvenience.
Symptoms of mosquito-borne illnesses vary, but WHO lists fever or chills, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, swollen glands and rash among the possible signs. Some infections can become severe and, in certain cases, lead to disability or death.
The simplest protection starts with avoiding bites
WHO recommends several basic precautions:
- wear light, breathable clothing that covers the arms and legs;
- use approved insect repellents according to the instructions;
- install or use screens on windows and doors;
- use mosquito nets when appropriate, especially for babies and young children;
- and reduce standing water around homes where mosquitoes can breed.
Buckets, flowerpots, old tires and uncovered containers that collect rainwater can all become mosquito breeding sites. Regularly emptying or covering them can help reduce the number of mosquitoes nearby.
World Mosquito Day is a reminder that one of the smallest creatures around us can carry an outsized public-health threat.
And sometimes the best defense begins with something very simple: do not give mosquitoes an easy place to breed — or an easy place to bite.
Source: World Health Organization
By NJ RADAR Team