Stories like this keep cropping up every year: A child goes outdoors to play with his friends. An hour later, he comes back with noticeable bite marks on his skin which appear to be mosquito bites. A few days later he is suffering from a high fever, usually in the evenings. The child is taken to the hospital, where he is diagnosed with dengue, which is a possibly fatal disease. The suspect? None other than the hated mosquitoes. Multiply this by the hundreds of thousands, plus hundreds of thousands more with other diseases coming from mosquitoes, and we have a clear picture of how dangerous mosquitoes can be.
What Are Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes are small insects, their size is about .125 mm to .75 inches and their weight is about 0.000088 oz. They have a slim, jointed body; a pair of wings each; they have six legs; prolonged mouthparts; and antennae attached to their heads. They can live from 2 weeks up to as long as 6 months. Mosquitoes have poor eyesight and are slow flyers. They feed on human or animal blood. That is how they are able to spread diseases. There are as many as 3,000 species of mosquitoes, but only three are responsible for the spread of the diseases. Only the female mosquitoes suck blood as male mosquitoes do not have the same mouthparts as those of the females. Its Scientific name is Culicidae.
The mosquito's life cycle starts from being an egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs on the water surface. Female mosquitoes love to breed on the water surface that has become stagnant for at least a week.
Mosquitoes are identified as the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Each year, millions of people die of diseases caused by mosquito bites. It is said that more people have been killed by mosquitoes than all of the wars in history combined. Mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases like dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, and West Nile fever.
How They Transmit Disease
Mosquitoes can spread disease in so many ways. Parasites affix themselves to the stomach of the female mosquitoes, and as the female sucks blood, the parasites transfers to this new host. The parasites then would cause the host to be sick. In other cases, the virus enters the mosquito as it feeds on an infected human’s blood. The mosquito then transfers to another human and infects the next person through its saliva.
Mosquitoes do not have very good eyesight; they really cannot see their potential hosts. They rely on the carbon dioxide emitted by humans or animals to home in on them. They also use scent to help them find a host.
Between the male and the female mosquitoes, it is the female we should be wary of. Only female mosquitoes bite; male mosquitoes do not have the essential mouthparts to bite and suck blood. The female mosquito’s mouth has two tubes: one is for secreting enzymes that would prevent blood clotting of the host, the other tube is for sucking blood.
If you see mosquitoes around your house, it is important that you get rid of them at once. You may want to enlist the services of professional exterminators for this. For the best in pest control management in North Carolina, you can call Go-Forth Home Services.
Habitat
Mosquitoes love to breed in stagnant water. They can often be found in water containers, jars, old cans, clogged gutters, old tires that have gathered rain, neglected birdbaths, swimming pools, and anything that can hold water for a long time. Inside the house, they like to stay in the bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom.
Mosquito-borne Diseases
Just what are the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes? Here are several reasons why mosquitoes are recognized as earth’s most dangerous creatures:
- Dengue - Dengue fever is a painful and possibly life-threatening disease. It is caused by one of four viruses and transmitted through the bite of the Aedes mosquito. The four dengue viruses are simply known as Dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4. It is possible for a person to get the disease four times in his lifetime because there are four different viruses that cause it. Dengue is the number one illness and cause of death in tropical and subtropical countries. It is estimated that the number of infections is from 390 to 400 million throughout the world. Most of these cases occur in tropical countries like Africa, Mexico, the Pacific Islands, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Central and South America. Symptoms include sudden high fever that lasts for a week, vomiting, severe headaches, difficulty breathing, a tendency to bruise easily, pain behind the eyes, nausea, skin rash, black and tarry stools, and bleeding nose or gum. There is no known cure for this disease.
- Malaria - Malaria is caused by a bite from a female Anopheles mosquito. This disease is life-threatening. Africa has the highest number of cases of malaria, accounting for 92% of the cases in 2017. People in the United States get malaria due to increased travel to countries where the parasites are endemic, then go back to the U.S. already with the infection after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, muscle aches, chills, and tiredness. If not treated within 24 hours, malaria can progress to severe illness and even death. Consult a doctor if you think you are infected with this disease.
- West Nile Fever - Here in the United States, this is the most common mosquito-borne disease among Americans. Only 20 percent show symptoms among those who are infected. These symptoms usually show after 3 days to two weeks of being bitten. A person who only has mild symptoms will recover quickly. Symptoms include mild fever, body aches, headaches, diarrhea, vision loss, numbness, body rashes, swollen lymph glands, muscle weakness, and paralysis. For those with severe cases, however, we can the patient could have meningitis and permanent brain damage. When the central nervous system gets affected, the patient may die. People over 60 or those with medical conditions are at higher risk of getting severe symptoms. Seek immediate care once these symptoms show up. Doctors may order tests to verify if you contracted the virus.
- Yellow fever - This disease was named after jaundice that appears in some of the patients. For most people who are infected, there are no symptoms. Those with symptoms will have a fever, chills, severe headache, body pains, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Then a smaller percentage may have a more severe phase within one day. Jaundice, high fever, dark urine, and abdominal pains will appear. There may be bleeding in the eyes, nose, mouth, and stomach. After this, the patients may die after 7 to 10 days.
- Zika virus - This disease is spread by the Aedes species. The symptoms for this disease include fever, rashes, headaches, joint pain, and red eyes. These symptoms can last for several days. These symptoms are mild and not fatal. There is no vaccine for Zika, but people who were already infected develop immunity to it.
Control
There are some things we can do to get rid of mosquitoes. For one, remove items that can hold water. These items include old cans, old tires, water containers, and old gutters. When going out, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. You may also put on Environment Protection Agency registered mosquito repellents with the ingredient DEET for added protection.
Keep the mosquitoes out of the house by installing tight-fitting windows and put a screen on them. If you do not have screens, make sure your doors and windows are closed at all times. In the bedroom, use a mosquito net. Mosquitoes love to stay in bedrooms. If you have tried all of these yet still find more mosquitoes in your home, then you can call in the professionals. You may want to get the services of the best pest control management in North Carolina, Go-Forth Home Services.
Go-Forth Is Simply The Best
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned commercial service solutions provider of modern pest control services and techniques, using the latest and most advanced technology in the business, making our service to you more efficient, safer, and more convenient. We have a team of expert professionals who can provide the best pest control services to residents and business establishments all throughout North and South Carolina.
We bring in a new and fresh approach to the pest control industry, using family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination that caters to your specific needs. Our expert experience in exterminating pests like cockroaches, weevils, mosquitoes, mice, flies, termites, ants, and spiders can really make you say goodbye to these pests. You may check us on Facebook or Google us to see what our satisfied customers have to say about us.
Go-Forth Home Services has earned the trust of residents and businesses in North Carolina for more than 50 years. For more information, or to set an appointment, just click here or dial (877) 274-1475. Our friendly operators are standing by.