हिंदी
Long gone are the times when mosquitoes were just irritating blood sucking parasites. Now they are dangerous life threatening blood sucking parasites. According to WHO, mosquito bites result in more than one million deaths every year, malaria being one of the major causes of deaths.
Understanding how dangerous mosquitoes can be, here are some diseases that you should know:
1. Malaria
This disease is transmitted via Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease multiplies in the liver and affect the red blood cells. Symptoms for the disease include fever, headache and vomiting. Malaria may lead to death if not treated immediately.
2. Dengue fever
Dengue virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes named Aedes aegypti, and sometimes, by A albopictus. Symptoms for the disease include high fever, severe headache, pain in muscles and bones, and mild bleeding from the nose and gums, among others. Some people might also contract a more dangerous form of the disease called dengue hemorrhagic fever.
3. Chikungunya
This is a viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It can cause high fever, join and muscle pain, and headache. There is, however, no specific treatment for the disease. All one can do is take rest and consumes fluids until better.
4. Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
This disease is caused by three thread-like parasitic filarial worms, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori, all transmitted by mosquitoes. It damages the lymphatic system and results in painful, swollen limbs. The lymphatic damage may also lead to frequent infections.
5. Zika fever
Zika virus is also transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. The symptoms are mild and may include fever, joint muscle pain or rash. No vaccine has been found to prevent this virus.
6. Japanese Encephalitis
The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus breeds in flooded rice fields, marshes, and standing water around plants. The virus can attack the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Most JE virus infections are mild or without apparent symptoms. There is a vaccine available to protect one against the Japanese encephalitis virus.
The only way to avoid getting these diseases is to steer clear from breeding grounds of mosquitoes and use repellents always.
