World Mosquito Day is observed on August 20 every year. The day marks the groundbreaking discovery of British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross. Way back in 1897 he had identified the link between mosquitoes and malaria.
The day aims to raise awareness about the causes of Malaria and its symptoms so that people are careful by doing the needful to stop mosquito breeding.
Mosquito’s name is derived from a Spanish word meaning “little fly.” Like bees, Mosquitoes also feed on plant nectar. Generally, we believe that mosquitoes bite humans because they need to feed on human blood, but this is not true. Female mosquitoes suck blood to help with the development of their eggs before laying them. Unlike the female ones, male mosquitoes do not feed on blood at all.
Here are some life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases you must be aware of:
Dengue:
It’s estimated that there are 400 million infections worldwide each year. Dengue symptoms usually begin 4-6 days after infection and will usually last up to 10 days. They include:
- High Fever
- Severe headaches
- Pain behind the eyes
- Severe joint and muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Skin Rash
- Mild Bleeding
Yellow Fever:
There is no specific way to treat Yellow Fever. It can only be prevented through vaccination. In mild cases, it can come across as flu: fever, headache, nausea, vomiting. Extreme symptoms includes:
- sensitivity to light
- muscle aches (especially in the back of knees)
- redness in eyes & tongue
- dizziness
Malaria:
In 2015, 438,000 people contracted malaria via a mosquito bite. It’s a blood-borne disease that you can only get from being bitten, a transfusion with someone already infected, or through using shared needles or syringes. Common symptoms of malaria are:
- shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe
- high fever
- profuse sweating
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- anemia
- muscle pain
- convulsions
- coma
- bloody stools
Chikungunya:
Chikungunya disease does not often result in death, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling. Symptoms usually begin 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
- fever (sometimes as high as 104 °F)
- joint pain
- headache
- muscle pain
- rash
- swelling around the joints
