Mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases.
It is not uncommon to see mosquito bed nets in homes even where there is no threat of mosquitoes infiltrating and biting sleeping residents. Some people hang them for their diaphanous, airy and romantic effect, but for many, bed nets are a necessary preventative barrier between sleeping humans and disease-carrying pests.
Mosquito Breeding and Feeding
According to the Control Mosquitoes website, "One female mosquito may lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and may average 1,000 to 3,000 offspring during her life span." Eliminating standing water in mosquito-prone areas can help control the population as this is where they breed.
Mosquitoes are ancient creatures, going back 100 million years, long before humans evolved. During that time, they diversified into 3,000 different species, says Control Mosquitoes. These insects do not only target human flesh. Like many other animals, adult mosquitoes feed on nectar and other floral fluids. It is only the female of the species that sucks blood to aid her ability to develop eggs and reproduce.
Climates and Regions
Mosquitoes would seem to prefer, but are not limited to, hot, humid climates. They live nearly everywhere, but large concentrations are found in sub-Saharan Africa, the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico and other tropical habitats. However, there are mosquitoes even in Alaska and other, cooler places where water is available for breeding purposes.
Types of Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
Mosquitoes carry many different diseases to unsuspecting humans and animals. Because of the way the insects feed, they can pick up diseases from already infected animals or humans and act as carriers, transmitting those same diseases to the sources of their subsequent meals. Some illnesses are easily treatable, but many are serious and can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control, mosquito-borne diseases include: West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever, Yellow Fever and Malaria. Such illnesses can cause symptoms ranging from seizures and comas to blindness and even death.
Malaria
Malaria is perhaps the most infamous of all mosquito-borne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), malaria, which killed between 700,000 and a little over one million people in 2008, is caused by a parasite. The majority of those killed were children.
Malaria symptoms can feel much like those of the common flu with aches and chills followed by fever. While it can be treated, many of those afflicted by the disease do not have access to the proper medicines. Without treatment, the majority of cases prove fatal.
Malaria is common to southern parts of Africa, where the majority of its casualties are found. The CDCP recommends the use of mosquito bed netting to prevent further cases of the disease. The CDCP has a long-standing charitable program designed to buy and distribute netting to those in need.
Nets and Mosquito-Bite Prevention
There are many options for trying to prevent mosquito bites on humans. Topical insecticides, citronella candles and other burning chemical products are just a few examples. However, for small children, who might not fare well with exposure to chemicals as well as for people who are sleeping, mosquito netting is a time-tested alternative.
According to Malaria Site: "Use of mosquito nets has been dated to prehistoric times. It is said that Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, slept under a mosquito net." Nets are made from medium to loosely woven fabric, suspended over a bed or other place for sleeping and draped so that the bed and sleeper are totally enclosed.
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