By Elijah Udoka
Mosquitoes belong to a group of insects that requires blood to develop fertile eggs.
Scientists reveal that since male mosquitoes do not lay eggs the male do not bite as well, rather the females are the egg producers and therefore suck blood to help them produce their eggs.
Female mosquitoes can detect a host to feed on at a distance of up to 40 yards, depending on species and weather conditions, so they start to come out from their hideout when the temperature is consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The female mosquitoes lay multiple batches of eggs and require a blood meal for every batch they lay.
For most people mosquitoes leave only itchy red bumps, while others, mosquitoes can cause them serious illness or even death.
The role of mosquitoes in spreading disease was first understood around the 20th century, and in 1898, British physician, Sir Ronald Ross, proved that mosquitoes were transmitting malaria and yellow fever.
Malaria is a disease caused by a protozoa parasite from mosquitoes, while yellow fever is caused by a virus from mosquitoes saliva.
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When a female mosquito pierces the skin with her mouthparts, she injects a small amount of saliva into the wound before drawing blood; the saliva makes penetration easier and prevents the blood from clotting in the narrow channel of her food canal.
Symptoms of malaria and yellow fever include; fever, chills, headache, joint pain, vomiting and convulsions, among others.
About 200,000 people are estimated to be infected annually and over 30,000 people are believed to have been killed by the disease.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant waters like an unused small tins or as large as a swampland where the mosquito larvae can develop.
It is very important to reduce the amount of still water around the house so that mosquitoes will not be able to find so many places to lay their eggs.
All containers that hold water for drinking, washing and bathing should always be covered. Opened tins such as old cans, bottles or pots, which could hold rain water, should not be allowed to lie around our home.
Drains should be cleared so that water can flow easily in the gutters.
However, some areas of water are difficult to cover. These include pit latrines and wells, in such cases small quantity of oil should be added to such water to control mosquitoes.
Mosquito larvae breathe air through the water surface and the layer of oil floating on the surface would prevent them breathing and kill them.
There are also different ways to minimize the effects of mosquito-borne diseases medically these includes; treatment with antibiotics and antiviral.
There is also a vaccine for yellow fever treatment which should be embraced by all in addition to regular spraying of our homes against mosquitoes.
We should also regularly check levels of animal mortality, since mosquitoes can transmit diseases from animal to humans through mosquito bites.
Thank God for the just concluded distribution of mosquito nets by the state government to Akwa Ibom indigenes, at least with an effective and correct use of these nets, Akwa Ibom State will be free of malaria and Yellow Fever.
