Most of us think of mosquitoes and their bites as merely an annoying part of the warmer months.
However, mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for the deaths of at least two million people each year plus the use of devastating illnesses for 700 million more.
Mosquitoes are vector agents that carry disease-causing viruses and parasites that are transmitted from person to person and are the source of more human suffering than any other organism.
However, mosquitoes do not succumb to any of the ailments they spread.
They are responsible for the deaths of more humans than all wars combined and are capable of spreading deadly diseases to dogs, horses, livestock and other animals which costs additional millions of dollars each year.
Some of the mosquito-borne diseases are associated with tropical climates such as Dengue Fever which is almost always fatal to children.
Dengue Fever has had recent outbreaks in Cuba, Barbados and along the Texas/Mexico border and has spread at such global proportions that it will soon overtake Malaria as the most significant mosquito related disease.
Currently, Malaria is the number one cause of premature death in the world and can take days to months to present symptoms causing frequent misdiagnosis for travelers.
Although these may not affect our daily lives, plenty of diseases spread by mosquitoes do.
Encephalitis was recently determined to be endemic to the United States with incidences increasing each year.
There are many forms of encephalitis such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (up to a 60% mortality rate), St.
Louis Encephalitis, many forms of meningitis and the West Nile Virus.
Symptoms include chills, fever, plus a stiff neck caused by inflammation of the spinal fluid.
If left untreated, most of these ailments will almost certainly be deadly.
Female mosquitoes suck the blood of warm-blooded animals in order to breed.
Although males and females can survive off of nectar, procreation requires the protein and iron supplied in blood.
When she decides to suck your blood (only females feed on people), she injects saliva into your skin comprised of anti-coagulants to make sure your blood doesn't clot while she feeds.
How do these females find their prey? Victims are located through their sense of smell.
There are 72 odor receptors on the antenna which allow them to seek out carbon dioxide (what humans exhale) as well as the scent of human perspiration.
The sense of smell is paramount to their survival.
Most people don't feel a mosquito feeding but we all know the end result - a red, swollen bump that itches and drives you nuts! This mosquito 'bite' is actually an autoimmune reaction from your body to the saliva.
Many are concerned with the relief of the 'bite' but the much greater concern should be to avoid mosquitoes in the first place.
Without a doubt, the most dangerous creature on earth and the cause of endless human suffering...
that title belongs to the mosquito!
However, mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for the deaths of at least two million people each year plus the use of devastating illnesses for 700 million more.
Mosquitoes are vector agents that carry disease-causing viruses and parasites that are transmitted from person to person and are the source of more human suffering than any other organism.
However, mosquitoes do not succumb to any of the ailments they spread.
They are responsible for the deaths of more humans than all wars combined and are capable of spreading deadly diseases to dogs, horses, livestock and other animals which costs additional millions of dollars each year.
Some of the mosquito-borne diseases are associated with tropical climates such as Dengue Fever which is almost always fatal to children.
Dengue Fever has had recent outbreaks in Cuba, Barbados and along the Texas/Mexico border and has spread at such global proportions that it will soon overtake Malaria as the most significant mosquito related disease.
Currently, Malaria is the number one cause of premature death in the world and can take days to months to present symptoms causing frequent misdiagnosis for travelers.
Although these may not affect our daily lives, plenty of diseases spread by mosquitoes do.
Encephalitis was recently determined to be endemic to the United States with incidences increasing each year.
There are many forms of encephalitis such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (up to a 60% mortality rate), St.
Louis Encephalitis, many forms of meningitis and the West Nile Virus.
Symptoms include chills, fever, plus a stiff neck caused by inflammation of the spinal fluid.
If left untreated, most of these ailments will almost certainly be deadly.
Female mosquitoes suck the blood of warm-blooded animals in order to breed.
Although males and females can survive off of nectar, procreation requires the protein and iron supplied in blood.
When she decides to suck your blood (only females feed on people), she injects saliva into your skin comprised of anti-coagulants to make sure your blood doesn't clot while she feeds.
How do these females find their prey? Victims are located through their sense of smell.
There are 72 odor receptors on the antenna which allow them to seek out carbon dioxide (what humans exhale) as well as the scent of human perspiration.
The sense of smell is paramount to their survival.
Most people don't feel a mosquito feeding but we all know the end result - a red, swollen bump that itches and drives you nuts! This mosquito 'bite' is actually an autoimmune reaction from your body to the saliva.
Many are concerned with the relief of the 'bite' but the much greater concern should be to avoid mosquitoes in the first place.
Without a doubt, the most dangerous creature on earth and the cause of endless human suffering...
that title belongs to the mosquito!