Mosquito - the Deadliest Animal in the World

Photo not mine

Causing more than 2 million deaths every year, the deadliest animal in the world is mosquito.

This little irritating flying creature is a nuisance that bites. It carries harmful and even fatal illnesses and considered to be public enemy number one in the fight against global infectious disease. According to National Geographic:

“Mosquitoes use exhaled carbon dioxide, body odors and temperature, and movement to home in on their victims. Only female mosquitoes have the mouth parts necessary for sucking blood. When biting with their proboscis, they stab two tubes into the skin: one to inject an enzyme that inhibits blood clotting; the other to suck blood into their bodies. They use the blood not for their own nourishment but as a source of protein for their eggs. For food, both males and females eat nectar and other plant sugars.

They transmit disease in a variety of ways. In the case of malaria, parasites attach themselves to the gut of a female mosquito and enter a host as she feeds. In other cases, such as yellow fever and dengue, a virus enters the mosquito as it feeds on an infected human and is transmitted via the mosquito’s saliva to a subsequent victim."

Based on World Health Organization (WHO), a common disease called Dengue is also considered as one of the most dangerous and endemic diseases in the world. It is actually a disease cause by a bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. 

As a matter of fact, millions of people around the world get affected by Dengue every year. The symptoms brought about by the disease would seem like an ordinary flu at first and would just show the more serious symptoms after about three days. In mind and moderate cases of Dengue, the patient would usually suffer high fever, severe headaches as well as muscle and joint pains. But in more serious cases, the patient’s platelet count would start to drop drastically and could eventually lead to haemorrhaging if not treated early on.

We've been experiencing mosquito attack practically in every baranggay in Pasig City. An invasion that can be considered an outbreak already since this is the first time (according to my mother's recollection) in more than six decades that this sudden occurrence of huge number of bloodsucker mosquitoes happen in the city.

I've posted a status in Facebook to alarm my friends and ask if they have the same problem. 

These are some of their comments in Filipino language:

So, how can we battle such disturbing outbreak? There's a big possibility that people living in affected areas may acquire serious diseases carried by these mosquitoes. Various mosquito killers and repellents are available in the market but their population seem to multiply in triple speed and they almost outnumber the residents.

What should be done to resolve this problem?

I just hope, no illness will affect the people other than bites that may cause skin irritation and itchiness.

Go, go, go SUPERKIKO! Use that super racket to beat those mosquitoes.