We know there are many diseases carried by mosquitoes, but how exactly do they spread diseases and give them to human hosts? What is the mechanism by which we get infected from a mosquito’s bite?
Unwelcomed Hitchhiker
Sometimes a mosquito will bite someone or some animal that carries a virus. By biting this person or animal and taking a drop of their blood they can find themselves with an unwelcome hitchhiker in the form of a virus. Viruses multiply by breaking into a live cell and high jacking it to produce more copies of the virus. As the virus spreads it may affect the host or it may just use the host as a carrier. Either way, when a mosquito produces copies of the virus by means of the blood, it has now become infected. The next time this mosquito gets hungry and decides to bite someone else, that someone else can end up being infected as well.
Think of the mosquito’s tiny proboscis as you would a used needle. We have all heard of the perils of used needles, now imagine a used needle flying around deciding who to stick itself into next, that is a mosquito. Can/do mosquitoes transfer and spread blood diseases like needles might? It’s essential to note that mosquitoes are not “sharing” blood but rather are becoming infected themselves. When they feed on someone after becoming infected, the virus is transmitted to a new person—not by means of old blood but by the mosquito’s saliva. Mosquitoes are very rarely affected by the viruses they carry making them very dangerous.
Mosquitoes also feed on plants, especially the male of the species but when it is time to reproduce, the protein of the blood is the perfect sustenance for a female mosquito to multiply. They do not take much blood, in fact, it would require well over a million mosquitoes to actually drain a person’s blood.
Other Factors
There are other factors that contribute to the distribution of viruses from a mosquito. For example, warmer climates tend to be ideal for viral reproduction. As it happens, mosquitoes thrive in warmer conditions making tropical weather the perfect storm of virus distribution.
How to Protect Yourself
Knowing how to protect yourself from mosquito bites is crucial if you want to avoid being one of the unlucky people who get one of these horrible diseases. The most effective way to avoid getting sick from viruses spread by mosquitoes is to prevent the bites in the first place. Repellent is good, as is surrounding your property with herbs and plants that mosquitoes do not like (for example plants with citronella). The most effective way, however, is to install a mosquito misting system in your home.
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