Today (sorry yesterday, as I
am reporting one and half hour late) is world Mosquito day. World
Mosquito Day, observed annually on 20 August, is a commemoration of British
doctor Sir Ronald Ross's
discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Ross is responsible
for the annual observance, having declared shortly after his discovery that the
day should be known as World Mosquito Day in the future. The London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine holds Mosquito
Day celebrations every year, including events such as parties and exhibitions,
a tradition dating back to as early as the 1930s.
 |
| Dr Ronald Ross |
Here are some myths which are prevalent in the community.
- Garlic and Marmite ward of
mosquitoes.
- Mosquitoes like sweet blood-
No it is not sweet but sweat from your body. What draws mosquitoes is a
cocktail of odors produced by the microbes on your skin.
- Mosquitoes don’t have a wardrobe preference- The mosquitoes
are attracted to the heat and dark coloured clothing retain more heat than
light coloured clothing, so mosquitoes prefer black or dark blue cloths.
- Antiseptic mouthwash repels mosquitoes-
No it may give you fresh minty breath but it does not put mosquitoes away.
- Mosquitoes bite- No they don’t
as they don’t have teeth; rather they suck your blood by piercing your
skin through a long and sharp proboscis.
- Mosquitoes die after feeding
- Mosquitoes can transit HIV
when it sucks blood of a healthy person, just after feeding on an AIDS patient
of HIV infected person- No as HIV is digested in their stomach, so it’s
broken down without being passed to a healthy person.
- Electric bug zapper is
effective on mosquitoes- No it can kill only 1% of mosquitoes or other biting insects. So do not rely on
these gadgets for killing the mosquitoes.
