World Mosquito Day: 5 Deadly Diseases Spread By Mosquitoes

Despite their tiny size, mosquitoes are responsible for causing a range of deadly vector-borne diseases that have claimed numerous lives across the world. These insects act as vectors or carriers for the parasite and transmit them from an infected host to humans through a bite. Once these vectors ingest the disease-causing microorganism, they can transmit the pathogen with every bite for the rest of their life.

World Mosquito Day is observed on August 20 to commemorate the discovery that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite to humans. The discovery was made by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897.

Other diseases caused by mosquito bites include malaria, dengue, West Nile, Chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever, among others.  According to the WHO, vector-borne diseases kill more than seven lakh people every year.

It is crucial to safeguard yourself against these predators. Today, let us look at the five most deadly diseases caused by mosquitoes.

• Dengue

One of the most common viral diseases, dengue fever is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans through the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. Once an individual is infected with the virus, symptoms start to appear within three to fourteen days and can last up to a week. The symptoms include rash, fever, nausea, and aches.

• Yellow fever

Yellow fever too is caused by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito and can result in chills, appetite loss, nausea, fever, headaches, and back discomfort. The person suffering from yellow fever tends to get better within five days. The disease claims more than 30,000 lives every year.

• Zika

Zika is another deadly disease which is transmitted through mosquitoes. While there are typically no symptoms of Zika fever, one can still witness red eyes, headaches, rash, and fever that are similar to the symptoms of dengue. A pregnant woman infected with the virus can give birth to children with major medical abnormalities.

• Chikungunya

Chikungunya can cause joint discomfort, fever, muscle soreness, headaches, and joint swelling in infected individuals. The condition of the patient tends to get better within a week, however, sometimes the joint discomfort can last for months or even years.

• Malaria 

It is can lead to high fever, restlessness and body pain. As per WHO, around 14 million more cases of malaria and 69,000 more deaths due to it were reported worldwide in 2020.