All About World Mosquito Day
World Mosquito Day, observed annually on 20th August, is a commemoration of a British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897. The female Anopheles mosquitoes were responsible for transmitting the malaria parasite. Sir Ronald Ross declared, shortly after his discovery that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Declare 20th August as World Mosquito Day in future. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine holds World Mosquito Day celebrations (events, parties, and exhibitions). Most of all, they celebrate every year, since the 1930s.
Why India should celebrate World Mosquito Day?
Sir Ronald Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on mosquitoes and malaria. That led to his breakthrough discovery that female mosquitoes were the vectors (carriers of the malarial parasite). This World Mosquito Day should be much more vigorously and prominently celebrated. Especially Government, NGO, and private corporate sponsorships should promote to create awareness about the mosquito menace. Deadly and painful mosquito diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, zika, and encephalitis can all lay you low. That too due to their one tiny mosquito-bite! The female mosquito is the world's deadliest creature. It is responsible for spreading the diseases like malaria yellow fever and dengue. Consequently, these diseases cause a million fatalities (deaths) every year, worldwide. Many more millions suffer serious effects of malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other mosquito diseases that cause pain and havoc. India is a favourite habitat (unfortunately) for mosquitoes (including Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes) . Due to hot tropical country with a large population (lots of blood-meals for female mosquitoes, freely available). The 4 month long monsoon season exacerbates the problem, allowing mosquitoes to breed prodigiously!
Prevention of Malaria: The Need of The Hour!
Sir Ronald Ross's discovery led to smarter ways to pinpoint and prevent malaria, malarial fever, and other mosquito diseases. In recent times, rising temperatures, urbanization, globalization and increasing populations (human as well as mosquitoes) have led to the rapid spread of diseases. Diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and zika to newer areas. Some mosquitoes have developed immunity to some insecticides. Symptoms of malaria-like high fever spells of shivering and feverish heat alternating; headaches and vomiting may initially seem like flu. If these malaria symptoms are severe, doctor's intervention, even hospitalization may be needed. Pregnant women, small kids, and the eldery should avail the doctor's malaria treatment at the very onset of malaria symptoms. It seems malaria is spreading fast and the female Anopheles mosquito is winning the battle. But they are trying friendly mosquitoes, new breakthrough vaccines, and advanced technologies to eradicate malaria and mosquito diseases.
Professional mosquito pest control is advisable!
A pest control professional will show you exactly where the Anopheles mosquito, responsible for malaria, breeds. Also it will show how to stop this at the source itself. Eliminate stagnant water (even in vases, pots or buckets). Windows and doors need mosquito screens to prevent them from entering. Use Mosquito nets, coils or repellent sprays and lotions. One may plant Tulsi (Holy Basil) near the windows, to keep mosquitoes at bay. Finally, a professional, safe pest control service like HiCare gives you a 3-step mosquito control service with instant results. First, they sprinkle special chemical granules in indoor water-holding areas, to block mosquitoes from breeding indoors. Next, a unique yet safe spray for walls, curtains, and dark corners kills mosquitoes instantly on contact. It also kills those buzzing around. Professional pest control is the safest and best method to avoid getting malaria.
Mosquito Eradication: Reasons for Optimism!
Innovative Methods to Control the Aedes Mosquito: Oxitec Ltd is building its first centralized Friendly Aedes egg production unit. It has the capacity to generate one billion mosquito eggs per week, in Oxfordshire, UK. Oxitec is working to control the AedesAegypti mosquito for over a decade. They have pioneered this brilliant biological method to suppress this dangerous species, through genetic engineering! They release friendly Aedes males (who do not bite or transmit diseases) and search for wild females to mate with. Their offspring inherit a self-limiting gene that causes them to die before reaching functional adulthood. The offspring inherit a fluorescent marker that allows tracking, monitoring for assessment of the results. Then the World Mosquito Programme's Wolbachia method uses the natural Wolbachia bacteria (present in 60% of insect species). When introduced into the AedesAegypti mosquito, whose male and female Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are released into the wild; these mosquitoes inter-breed with the wild mosquito population, so the bacteria is passed from generation to generation. These new mosquitoes are less able to transmit mosquito-borne diseases to humans. Hence these new technologies give hope that we will win the fight against mosquito-borne diseases someday.