The Complex Lives of Mosquitoes: The Key for Malaria Control

The Complex Lives of Mosquitoes: The Key for Malaria Control

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F. Okumu,  ISGlobal,  2021.

Mosquitoes spread diseases to millions of people around the world, yet they remain poorly understood by most. Studying their biology and behaviours can help us combat, and eventually eliminate, dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.There are nearly 3,500 species of mosquitoes. About 400 belong to a family called Anopheles, and of these, only about 50-70 can actually transmit malaria to humans. In Africa, where the malaria burden is highest, the most important are Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles colluzzi. Often, only one or two of these dominate malaria transmission in any country. Effective malaria control can therefore be achieved by simply identifying, understanding and then targeting just the one or two dominant Anopheles species instead of trying to kill all mosquitoes.A female Anopheles lays about 500 eggs in her lifetime, usually in standing fresh waters, although some breed along rivers or in brackish waters. The eggs weigh just 4 micrograms each and float like little pontoons on the water surfaces.