Mosquitos: Vectors, Bites, and Prevention Strategies

Mosquitos: Vectors, Bites, and Prevention Strategies

Mosquitos are small insects most commonly known as the fundamental vectors of Malaria. The name mosquito originated from Spanish meaning little fly, and it was derived from the word “mosca” that means fly. The feeding habits of mosquitos have a variance from other insects where both males and females feed on blood. For mosquitos, only the females feed on the blood while the males feed on sticky fluid. In America, the history of mosquitos can be traced well back since the mid-1600s where cases of the vector-borne virus, commonly referred to as yellow fever was recorded in New York where thousands of people died. The subsequent instances occurred in Philadelphia followed by New Orleans…