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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 can spread involves (1) control
of mosquito larvae and/or biting adult 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 In Standing Water).
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.
Using
Mosquito Traps for Adult Mosquitoes
What is Malaria?
What is West Nile
Virus?
What is Heartworm
in Pets?
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