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Mosquitoes
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Mosquitoes
have had a big impact on human history
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Summary: Mosquitoes are probably the
most important of all insects in terms of
their direct impacts on human health. Mosquito-borne
diseases like malaria still account for millions
of deaths annually world-wide and contribute
to global poverty by sickening whole communities.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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What are
mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes
are small, delicate flies (see drawing lower
right) that have had a huge impact on human
history. Their extremely annoying bite carries
with it the possibility of disease. Malaria,
yellow fever, and, more recently, West Nile
virus are a few of the better known
mosquito-transmitted human diseases. Malaria
alone kills millions of people each year
worldwide and contributes to global poverty by
weakening entire populations.
Other animals
suffer from mosquito-borne illness as well. West
Nile virus is often fatal to birds and horses,
and heartworm is a very serious and often fatal
mosquito-borne disease of dogs (see Related
Articles below for more information).
Mosquitoes develop
in standing water
Mosquito
larvae (see picture top right) develop
in standing water and breathe air either
through a siphon tube or by swimming to the
water surface. Even the water in small puddles
or ornamental ponds and faulty rain gutters
can support many larvae. Female mosquitoes
require a blood-meal to produce healthy eggs.
During feeding disease organisms may
be transmitted to the host animal in the
mosquito's saliva.
common misspellings
and alternate names: mosquitos, mosquito
repelants, mosquito repellants, mossie, skeeters
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Yellow fever
mosquito larvae (top) suspended, head
down, from water surface by siphon tubes. Line drawing
(bottom) of adult mosquitoes.
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Mosquito control
Protection from mosquito
bites and the diseases they spread involves
(1) control of mosquito larvae and control
of adult biting mosquitoes, (2) elimination
of temporary breeding sites and (3) use of insect
repellents and bed nets (see Using
Insect Repellents and How
to Control Mosquito Larvae).
Mosquitoes tend to be
more of a problem in warm tropical climates
and less so in cool dry climates. However,
mosquitoes occur on nearly every continent and are
more often correlated with bodies of standing water
like lakes and ponds rather than air temperature. As
an example, cold high mountain lakes in the Pacific
Northwest are notorious for swarms of biting
mosquitoes.
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Diseases transmitted
by mosquitoes
In the US West Nile
virus and heartworm are now the most
important mosquito transmitted diseases.
West Nile virus can cause serious human illness in a
small percentage of the population but is also
causes fatal disease in horses and birds.
Heartworm is a nematode that causes an often
fatal disease in dogs and other unprotected
animals.
In many parts of the
world malaria is still the most important
mosquito-borne illness. And, until a vaccine was
developed yellow fever epidemics routinely swept
through populations killing hundreds or thousands of
people each year. See The American Plague
(right) for a fascinating account of a past
epidemics of yellow fever.
Using Mosquito
Traps for Adult Mosquitoes
What is Malaria?
What is West Nile Virus?
What is Heartworm
in Pets?
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Mission: To
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for solving common insect and mite problems around
your home, business and landscape using least-toxic
methods.
Jack DeAngelis,
Ph.D.
Please see the Disclaimer statements as
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