Ali Nawaz
A SENSE of ‘impending doom’, ‘exhaustion’, ‘fuzziness in the head’, a ‘semi-conscious state of sleep’, accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting and excruciating body pain, is how people who have survived dengue, describe this flu-like illness, which can also be fatal.
To think that a diminutive vector the mosquito can wreak so much destruction on the physical and mental state of a human being is indeed overwhelming.
Can there be anything more annoying than the ‘zzzzzz’ sound of a mosquito in your ear just as you have nodded off? Can there be anything as distressing as finding those telltale, red bites all over your toddler’s legs first thing in the morning? It’s a sure sign that these insects have been feasting on your beloved child’s blood. Can there be anything as exasperating as the severe itch of a fresh mosquito bite? Your nails will scratch away until they eventually draw blood, causing swelling or infection. As the heat rises during the summer months, the mosquito season reaches its peak. The warm temperature is ideal to hasten their life cycle, which means more mosquitoes are laying eggs and more eggs are hatching. Apart from the annoyance and itch, mosquitoes bring with them the threat of serious diseases like malaria and dengue fever. As female mosquitoes hop from one host to another, sinking their needle-like stinger to suck blood which they need to get protein to nourish their eggs, they transmit germs and viruses of diseases any host might be carrying. Mosquito bites can also cause severe reactions, which may have to be treated with anti-allergy medicine.
They are a nuisance and can cause disease, but it’s not difficult to keep mosquitoes at bay
One of the responsibilities of an efficient homemaker is to take measures to keep her family safe from such threats. Here are some things you can do to make sure your home and vicinity are safe from the menace of mosquitoes:
Eliminate standing water: The foremost thing is to show zero tolerance for standing water something which is a prevalent and perpetual problem on the streets and alleys of Pakistan.
May it be salty or fresh; in your gardens, driveways, roads, gutters and ditches make sure these pools of water are cleaned up because that’s where mosquitoes will lay their eggs and hatch. Mosquitoes will sniff out standing water even if it is a small puddle under plant pots, tanks, birdbaths, inside tyres and under dripping air conditioners. Keeping yourself safe may even mean being vigilant enough to fill up any holes in the ground near your home where water might collect.
The Deadly Burden of Malaria
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 report, there were 263 million new malaria cases reported worldwide in 2023, resulting in approximately 597,000 deaths. Of these, 94% of the cases and 95% of the deaths occurred in African countries, where access to healthcare remains limited.
At the same time, according to WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, 44 countries and one region have now been declared “malaria-free.” Recently, Egypt and Cabo Verde joined this list. This stands as proof of human determination, showing that with the right resources and strategies, it is possible to win the battle against such a deadly creature as the mosquito.
The Root of the Threat: The Female Mosquito the malaria parasite spreads through the female mosquito of the Anopheles species. A study published in Trends in Parasitology in 1996 revealed that these mosquitoes are particularly attracted to the smell of human feet. Interestingly, a specific bacterium called Brevibacterium linens responsible for the distinctive odor of Limburger cheese is especially appealing to mosquitoes!
Cover yourself: It may be sweltering hot but make sure you and your family wear long-sleeved, loose cotton and lawn clothes especially if it involves an outing after dark in an open-air space like parks, beaches or roadsides. Screen them out: This will involve putting up screens for windows and doors so that the breeze can provide respite from the heat but will keep out the pests. Removable nets over beds, especially for infants, are also extremely effective to get a peaceful sleep safe from buzzing mosquitoes. Apply safe mosquito repellents: There is a range of mosquito coils, power guards and creams which can help ward off mosquitoes, which should be kept handy. The number of hours a repellent remains effective depends from product to product, on the amount of active ingredient, air temperature, activity, sweating and water exposure, to mention a few.
In case of repellent creams, care must be taken that it is applied as per directions, only over exposed skin areas and not over cut and bruises or underclothes. Such creams and lotions should not be used on infants under two months of age and should not be applied on the hands of older children. If your skin is sensitive to creams then you can try natural elements like citronella plant oil, tea tree oil and vitamin B which have also been seen to repel mosquitoes.
Keep cool: Mosquitoes are considered to be attracted to warm bodies which emit sweat and carbon dioxide; so turning the fan on high or keeping cool with the air conditioner on, especially during the night, can help prevent mosquito bites. This affinity for heat is the reason why mosquitoes swarm around dark colours like black because such hues absorb heat.
Killing the ‘buzzers’: Harsh but true use a swatter, a spray or electronic zapper but ruthlessly killing mosquitoes is the answer to keeping your loved ones safe. Spray inside your rooms after dark and keep doors closed. Use coils and zappers at the entrance to your home and in gardens and porches. A proactive approach to keeping yourself safe from these pests might just be the step which needs to be taken to keep you and your family mosquito-free.
There seems to be no convincing result about mosquitoes liking a particular blood type. However, other factors, like a person’s genetics and even diet, play a bigger role in how “delicious” a person tastes. Mosquitoes appear to be selectively target people based on their skin microbiota. Microbiota refers to the bacteria that naturally reside in or on the human body. Our skin alone is home to over 1000 different species of bacteria.
Researchers have found that the presence and abundance of certain species of bacteria were correlated with a person’s attractiveness to mosquitoes. Interestingly, the combination of volatiles that are considered ‘attractive’ may differ based on the species of mosquito.
Who transmits malaria?
A 1996 study in the journal Trends in Parasitology found that female mosquitoes from the genus Anopheles, which are responsible for transmitting the malaria parasite, were attracted to the bacteria on human feet. This bacterium, Brevibacterium linens, is the same one that gives Limburger cheese its distinctive smell. A follow-up 2013 study in the journal PLOS One confirmed that mosquitoes are, in fact, attracted to Limburger cheese.
Are they attracted to our head?
That buzzing you hear from a mosquito is likely to be from a female. That’s because the male typically hang out and sip on the nectar of flowers. The females, however, need to find a blood meal in order to have enough energy to produce eggs.
We may readily perceive mosquitoes buzzing around our ears, but most mosquitoes are not attracted to our heads. Rather, these bloodsuckers may be more inclined to seek out our feet, which sport bacteria that give off mosquito-enticing aromas. However, most people probably don’t notice a mosquito buzzing around their ankles.
How to avoid mosquitoes?
To avoid mosquitoes, your best bets are to wear clothing that is light-coloured and long, apply insect repellent and steer clear of mosquito hotspots (wetlands, for example) at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, Live
