Diseases Transmitted through Mosquitoes

By Kayla Lee

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 249 million malaria cases occurred in 2022 globally, leading to 608,000 malaria deaths in a single year. As the earth continues to fill with heat in the atmosphere, the planet becomes warmer and lengthens the mosquito season. Mosquitoes thrive and breed in environments with high humidity and temperature. Climate change will shift or even expand the geographical ranges of mosquito species that transmit viruses or bacterias. The world's most lethal creature will spread to new regions and reappear in areas where mosquito populations had not been active for decades. The diseases that are spread by mosquitoes include Dengue fever, malaria, Zika virus, Yellow Fever, and more.

Dengue fever is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This virus can be spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, but the mosquitoes can become infected when they bite a person who is already infected with the virus. Although most of the dengue infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illnesses, the virus can cause more severe cases, and even death. Common symptoms of dengue fever last for 1-2 weeks and include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rash. Severe symptoms that come after the fever has gone away include abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding, pale and cold skin, and more. Currently, there are no specific treatments for dengue fever so patients use medications to alleviate pain symptoms.

Malaria is caused by a parasite that infects mosquitoes. Anopheles mosquitoes are able to transmit malaria from a person to another though not all Anopheles mosquitoes have malaria. In tropical and subtropical regions, especially where people lack resources and necessities such as housing and medical facilities, malaria is a leading cause of high rates of illness and death. Symptoms can appear as early as one week after an infection occurs or as late as a year or more depending on the person. Common symptoms include fever, flu-like illness, chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and more. Risk factors of malaria include pregnant women and young children who have weak immune systems. In order to cure malaria, patients are given prescription drugs to kill the parasite. Although the types of drugs and the length of treatment vary depending on the type of malaria parasite, symptoms, and age, the most common drugs include chloroquine phosphate and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).

Source: Sadie J. Ryan, Colin J. Carlson, Erin A. Mordecai, and Leah R. Johnson

Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes transmit dengue virus, Zika virus, yellow fever, chikungunya virus, and more.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies show that warmer temperatures associated with climate change can accelerate mosquito development, biting rates, and the incubation of the disease within a mosquito. With climate change just being one of many important factors that affect the distribution of the various diseases, human intervention in wildlife is impacting the ecosystems of not only the mosquitoes, but also many other organisms.

Works Cited

“Dengue and Severe Dengue.” World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. Accessed 29 June 2024.

Ellis, Rebecca. “CHART: Where Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes Will Go In The Future.” NPR, 28 Mar. 2019, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/28/707604928/chart-where-disease-carrying-mosquitoes-will-go-in-the-future. Accessed 29 June 2024.

EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-west-nile-virus. Accessed 29 June 2024.

“Malaria’s Impact Worldwide.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/malaria/php/impact/index.html#:~:text=Globally%2C%20an%20estimated%20249%20million,population%20at%20risk%20for%20infection. Accessed 29 June 2024.

“Malaria Symptoms and Treatment Options.” Medicines for Malaria Venture, www.mmv.org/malaria/about-malaria/malaria-symptoms-and-treatment-options. Accessed 29 June 2024.

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