How do Mosquitoes Carry Disease Causing Microorganisms and Spread Diseases?
October 28, 2023 | by Yashaswi Pathakamuri | Posted in FAQ's
Mosquitoes can carry and spread disease-causing microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, through a process known as vector-borne transmission. Here’s how it typically happens:
- Mosquito Feeding: Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite and feed on blood, as they require the nutrients from blood to develop and lay their eggs. When a mosquito bites an infected host (which can be a human, bird, or other animals), it can ingest the disease-causing microorganisms present in the host’s blood.
- Multiplication and Transport: Once inside the mosquito’s body, the microorganisms can multiply and potentially establish an infection within the mosquito. Some microorganisms, like the malarial parasite (Plasmodium spp.), undergo complex developmental stages within the mosquito’s gut.
- Salivary Gland Infection: Over time, the microorganisms can migrate to the mosquito’s salivary glands. When the infected mosquito bites another host to feed, it injects its saliva into the host’s bloodstream. If the mosquito is carrying disease-causing microorganisms, they may be transmitted along with its saliva.
- Transmission to New Host: The injected microorganisms can then infect the new host. This is how diseases are transmitted from one individual to another. For example, in the case of malaria, the mosquito transmits the parasite to a human host when it bites to feed. In the case of viruses like Zika, dengue, or West Nile, the infected mosquito can transmit the virus to a human host through its bite.
Common diseases spread by mosquitoes include:
- Malaria: Transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, it is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
- Dengue fever: Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and caused by the dengue virus.
- Zika virus: Also transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, it causes Zika fever.
- Yellow fever: Transmitted by Aedes or Haemagogus mosquitoes and caused by the yellow fever virus.
- West Nile virus: Transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, it causes West Nile fever.
- Chikungunya: Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and caused by the chikungunya virus.
Preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases involves controlling mosquito populations through measures like insecticide use, eliminating breeding sites (standing water), and using personal protective measures, such as using mosquito repellents and bed nets. Additionally, there are vaccines and treatments available for some of these diseases, which can help reduce their impact.