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When we are young, we learn that
tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We
might be scared of them because they are big
and powerful. As we get older, however, we
learn that sometimes the most dangerous
animals are also the smallest animals. In fact,
the animal that kills the most people every year
is one that you have probably killed yourself
many times: the mosquito.
While it may seem that all mosquitoes
are biters, this is not actually the case. Male
mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand,
female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They
need this blood to live and produce eggs. When
a female mosquito bites a human being, it transmits a small amount of saliva into the
blood. This saliva may or may not contain a
deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as
minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.
Because a mosquito can bite many
people in the course of its life, it can carry
diseases from one person to another very
easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried
by mosquitoes are malaria and yellow fever.
More than 700 million people become sick
from these diseases every year. At least 2
million of these people will die from these
diseases.
Many scientists are working on safer
and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far,
there is no sure way to protect everyone in the
world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets
can be placed over beds to protect people
against being bitten. These nets help people
stay safe at night, but they do not kill any
mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural
enemies like bats, birds, dragonflies, and
certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these
animals into places where mosquitoes live
might help to cut down the amount of
mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural
solution, but it does not always work very well.
Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or
sprays. Even though these sprays kill
mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or
animals.
Although mosquitoes may not seem as
scary as larger, more powerful animals, they
are far more dangerous to human beings. But
things are changing. It is highly likely that one
day scientists will find a way to keep everyone
safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they
carry.