Anopheles Mosquito

The anopheles mosquito is not the only mosquito to be able to transmit malaria - not by a long chalk, but it is the one that people are frightened of. There are well over 400 known species of anopheles mosquitoes, and roughly 100 of them can transmit malaria. However, Anopheles gambiae is the most dangerous when it comes to passing on the malaria virus Plasmodium falciparum.

Anopheles Mosquito

These tiny parasites spread malaria that kills millions of people in Africa alone every year. However, it does not stop there. Some species of anopheles can also pass on heart worm in dogs, but it has further problems in store for humans as well.

Some species can transmit elephantitis, which makes your legs swell up to proportions suggested by the name of the disease. There is no cure for elephantitis and no preventative vaccine yet. Many countries, especially tropical countries like Thailand will not allow sufferers of elephantitis to enter the country, so it is a debilitating disease in more ways than one.

The anopheles can also transmit O’nyong’nyong fever which brings on symptoms similar to chronic arthritis. Attacks come and go in cycles as with malaria, but there is also no known cure as yet.

A similar disease that can be carried by the anopheles, although its cousin the Aedes is more to blame, is Chikungunya. Chikungunya is similar to dengue fever. Chikungunya also affects the joints and attacks also last a few days before giving way to respite, although it is soon followed by more pain.

Chikungunya does not cure itself easily and it can take weeks, months or even years before the body, even with the help of medication can control the disease.

Last but certainly not least, the anopheles can induce a swelling in the brain, a brain tumour, by its bite. All brain tumours are life-threatening and so extremely serious.

The anopheles mosquito has been around for about 260 million years in one form or another. It has several cousins all over the warm world, but it is the most dangerous of mosquitoes. It is the White Shark of the mosquito world, so it is the one to be avoided at all costs.

The anopheles mosquito shares all the common traits with other mosquitoes. It has four stages in its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and imago. The first three stages take place in water, usually still to brackish water and they only fly about in the final stage.

Even then, it is only the female that can give you one of the above diseases and even only then when she herself has already been infected. Not 100% of anopheles mosquitoes carry dangerous or even any diseases. Adult mosquitoes probably live a week or two in the wild, but can live twice as long in a laboratory.

The sensible approach to dealing with the dangers that the anopheles presents is to check with your doctor before you go to a warm country whether you are running any risks of mosquito-borne infections and the doctor will advise you on the latest vaccines, tablets or repellents.

If you are already in such a country, wear loose-fitting clothing on your arms and legs, put mosquito repellent on every evening and sleep under a mosquito net.