World Mosquito Day 2022
World mosquito day is observed on the 20th of August every year. The day is celebrated in order to commemorate Ronald Ross’s discovery which he made in 1897. His discovery stated how anopheles mosquitos transmit malaria parasites to humans.
London school of hygiene and tropical medicine has been always celebrating world mosquito day since 1930. They celebrate it to mark the British doctor’s work.
It is interesting to note that mosquitoes despite being really small in size are the only predator which has thrived and survived through the centuries and also happens to be the cause of vector-borne disease. Mosquitos are considered the world’s deadliest predator as these are the cause of seven lakh people every year.
Mosquitoes
These are quite common, flying insects in almost every part of the world. There are more than 3500 types of mosquitos that can be found all over the globe. Not all of these bite people or animals. Some of these can be vectors. The most common reactions of mosquitos biting are itching and swelling.
It was Ronald Ross who discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. During his work in the labs, he made this groundbreaking discovery. The malarial parasite which causes malaria was found by him in the gastrointestinal tract of a female mosquito. This discovery enables the scientists to understand the role more clearly that mosquitoes play in the disease. It also provided the grounds for prevention. Ross was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine in 1902 and he was the first British person ever to get the Nobel prize.
Significance of world’s mosquito day
This day is celebrated in order to throw light on how mosquitoes can be the reason for the fatal diseases which these are transmitting for centuries now. A lot of NGOs, healthcare officials, and others are fighting the diseases which are caused by malaria. Therefore, every world mosquitos day, there are programs, conferences, and seminars for the awareness of diseases that mosquitos happen to cause.
Today after a century and so mosquitos-borne diseases are widely spread and get tough and difficult to treat as well. Even though there have been efforts at the global level to curb the diseases and their impact on fragile populations. Mosquitos and diseases cause thousands of deaths every year. As WHO quotes, only malaria causes 400,000 deaths annually. A lot of other mosquito-borne diseases don’t claim lives but at times turn fatal for patients. Chikungunya, for instance, caused by the Aedes species of mosquitos can be a reason for crippling joint pain.
Therefore, it is very much significant to organize this day everywhere to educate the people and to make them aware of the consequences of the diseases that mosquitos turn to be the reason for. This is a global cause. A lot of regions don’t even take these predators and their diseases seriously because of a lack of awareness. Cleanliness is not maintained and people don’t work on the precautions and safety measures to curb the breeding of mosquitoes as well as to prevent the diseases.
Awareness and better steps on this day hence, make people understand and realize the issues and diseases they could face by not considering the good measures.
Diseases Caused by Mosquitos
On world mosquito day they talk about the mosquitoes and the type of mosquitos that are responsible for the diseases in humans. A lot of other mosquitos act as vectors for different diseases.
The diseases which are caused by The Aedes are
- Chikungunya
- Dengue fever
- Lymphatic filariasis
- Rift valley fever
- Yellow fever.
Anopheles, however, on the other end causes
- Malaria
- Lymphatic filariasis particularly in Africa.
Culex is another type of cause to be the reason for
- Japanese encephalitis
- Lymphatic filariasis
- West Nile fever.
Facts about different mosquitos and species
According to scientists and researchers, female anopheles is the main vector of malaria. The environment in which it gets comfortable and grows includes rainwater pools, puddles, borrow pits, river bed pools irrigation surroundings, seepages, rice fields, wells, pond margins, and sluggish streams. The time this mosquito bites in is mostly dusk and dawn.
Female Aedes mosquitos usually bite during the day and cause zika and yellow fever. Its peak biting hours are early morning and before dusk. It most gets bred in manmade and storage containers which have a small quantity of water. It is interesting to note that its eggs live without water for more than a year. This mosquito flies an average of 400 meters, however, can be transported accidentally by humans from one place to another.
Moreover, it is also worth mentioning that female mosquitoes rely on blood for their survival. Male mosquitoes also feed on flower nectars and other suitable sugar sources.
Prevention of diseases
Vector surveillance is extremely significant for the early detection of the population of mosquitoes. It is imperative to take the proper control measures which can be initiated at even an early stage. If the breeding of these steps is detected there should be proper steps taken to eliminate mosquitos by covering most of the water containers, emptying and drying water tanks, coolers, and other bird paths. It further includes pets, water bowls, and drip trays at least once every week. Also, the discarded items which cause the reason to collect rainwater and pool water should also be removed. The clogged gutters and flat roofs which have poor draining should be checked and taken care of. These measures are extremely important to take for the prevention of the diseases caused by the mosquitoes and all these measures can also restrict mosquito growth.
Moreover, introducing larvivorous fish in ornamental water tanks can also help to prevent diseases. People should be wearing long-sleeved and should also use insect repellents. Nets can also prevent people from mosquito bites.
Final Words
World mosquito day is observed on the 20th of august annually. This day is celebrated on this date because Doctor Ronald Ross made his discovery on the same date finding parasites of malaria in a mosquito. This day is celebrated worldwide by different NGOs, medical institutes, and healthcare organizations. They talk about the brief history, and causes of spread and educate the audiences about the steps they can take to prevent the diseases.
