How mosquitoes spread pathogens (how to eliminate mosquitoes)

On humid summer nights, the oppressive heat is mixed with the smell of medicinal mosquito coils, electric mosquito coils, and insecticides... Some people may not even think about sleeping peacefully in the summer without this full "armor", because They seem to be natural "magnets" for attracting mosquitoes. But there are some people who are never bothered by mosquitoes. So, why are some people born to be "good meals for mosquitoes"?

Scientists have discovered that carbon dioxide has a strong attraction to mosquitoes a long time ago. However, carbon dioxide alone cannot tell the whole story, because it turns out that mosquitoes prefer to bite people's arms, legs and feet. Therefore, although the role of carbon dioxide cannot be ignored, the skin must also release other substances that are more attractive to mosquitoes.

Scientists have found that mosquitoes react very violently to some mixtures. Among the 346 substances they tested, a mixture of three special chemicals attracted 90% of the mosquitoes every time. Bernier found that his arms and hands only attracted 7 mosquitoes. "And sometimes you mix 30 substances and mosquitoes are not attracted to them at all," Bernier said. However, scientists in this experiment have never found any attractant that can attract mosquitoes 100% of the time.

The researchers also found that a mixture that releases a mixture that resembles human body odor is more attractive to mosquitoes. But this is far from making a better attractant. Because the attractant must be more attractive to mosquitoes than the human body near it to be effective, Bernier and others said, "It is very difficult to get close to the human body, and we have not been able to do it until now."

(1) Malaria Malaria is a disease transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is also called miasma. According to a 1935 Department of Health survey, in areas where miasma was prevalent, 50% of residents had malaria parasites in their blood, and 72% had falciparum malaria. In 1936, about 20,000 people died of malaria in Gao County, Jiangsu Province. In 1876, when the Panama Canal was being built, countless workers died of yellow fever and malaria, and work was forced to stop in 1889. After entomologists solved the mosquito problem, the canal project was able to continue. A report of the Far Eastern Society of Tropical Medicine in 1930 stated that about 50 people in Thailand died from tiger bites every year, and 50,000 people died from malaria.

How do mosquitoes introduce pathogens into the human body? When the Anopheles mosquito sucks the blood of a person suffering from malaria, it also sucks the Plasmodium parasites (the source of malaria) into the body. When they bite again, the malaria parasites are injected from the mosquito's mouth into the body of the bitten person. Ten days later, malaria parasites begin to appear in blood vessels close to the skin. They multiply within the patient's red blood cells, dividing into large numbers of tiny protozoa that destroy the red blood cells and release a toxin. Each small malaria parasite invades other red blood cells and continues to reproduce, causing more and more malaria parasites and toxins in the patient's body, causing the patient to have chills and fever. The patient who got malaria first had a chill and his whole body was shaking, but his body temperature was high as measured by the thermometer. It takes about an hour for the patient to feel feverish. At this time, the body temperature continues to rise. After three or four hours, he begins to sweat and the body temperature drops. After a few hours, the patient feels relaxed and the disease seems to have passed. In fact, at this time, the protozoa have invaded the new plant. The red blood cells begin to multiply again. When the malaria parasite destroys the red blood cells again and emerges, the patient becomes ill again and forms a second round. Unless appropriate treatment is obtained the attacks will continue with painful regularity. The losses caused by malaria to human beings are considerable. The patients are physically weak, their work efficiency is low, and in severe cases, they may even lose their lives. At present, medicines can be used to treat and prevent this disease, but the best way is to eliminate the mosquitoes that transmit this disease - malaria.

Japanese encephalitis is an acute infectious disease caused by a viral virus and is also transmitted by mosquitoes. This disease is also called Japanese encephalitis, and is generally called encephalitis. Patients have symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, convulsions, lethargy, and coma. There are no specific drugs for treatment, so the fatality rate is quite high.

After a mosquito bites and sucks the blood of a person or animal that has the virus, it becomes infectious after a considerable period of time. When it bites a person without immunity, it can cause the bite to become ill. The mosquitoes that transmit this disease are called Culex and Aedes. To prevent and control the occurrence and spread of this disease, in addition to vaccination and infection prevention, we must vigorously eliminate mosquitoes and eliminate the communicators. In addition, Culex and Anopheles mosquitoes also transmit filariasis (elephantosis).

Eliminating mosquitoes is the key to ensuring people's health and avoiding the spread of diseases. How to get rid of mosquitoes? Mosquitoes go through four stages of life: eggs, larvae (larvae), pupae, and adults. Mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in clear water, such as small rivers, rainwater puddles, ponds, swamps, rice fields and mountain streams. In the warm season, the eggs can hatch into larvae in about three days and begin to eat mosquitoes growing in the water. Small microorganisms and protozoa, etc. They draw air close to the water through two spiracles at the end of their bodies. After molting, the larvae eventually stop eating and become less active, turning into pupae. About two or three days later, the pupae come to the water surface to shed their skin and emerge as adults (mosquitoes). Male and female mosquitoes mostly mate in the early morning or evening. First, the male mosquitoes fly in groups around the tops of short trees, eaves, windows or open spaces. The female mosquitoes seize the opportunity to join the team and mate quickly during the flight. Male mosquitoes only suck grass juice and live on nectar, but do not suck blood. After mating, female mosquitoes must suck blood (human or animal blood) in order for their eggs to mature, so only female mosquitoes can transmit diseases. Female mosquitoes can lay eggs once after one blood meal, and can lay six to eight eggs in a lifetime, with 200-300 eggs each time. Therefore, eliminating one mosquito in the early stage is equivalent to eliminating hundreds or thousands of them. It is important to know the life history and breeding sites of mosquitoes. We can apply this knowledge to aggressively eliminate mosquitoes. Mosquito larvae are the easiest to exterminate, because the larvae must live in water. If the lowlands can be filled up, stagnant water can be diverted, and the blood vessels storing water can be cleaned regularly so that the larvae have no place to survive, mosquito eradication will definitely achieve good results. To prevent mosquitoes from spreading various diseases at home, it is best to cover doors and windows with wire mesh or fine gauze to prevent mosquitoes from flying in. Mosquito killers can be sprayed on the walls, ceiling and corners of the room. Use a mosquito net on the bed to avoid mosquito bites while sleeping. At the same time, the masses were mobilized to turn over pots and jars, block tree holes, and fill puddles and lowlands to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

animal tags： mosquito disease