Facts and Some Current News On Mosquito Control
It would be great to hear that the threat that comes with mosquitoes has been eliminated. The number of annual transmissions of mosquito-borne illnesses would be a thing of the past. All efforts to combat this tiny yet deadly bug would have finally paid off. However, until that day comes, you need to keep learning about mosquitoes. Thank goodness that there are experts and organizations that are ready to fight this menace. This post will bring you up to speed with some of the current news.
Origin of The Name “Mosquito”
Just before we jump into the latest developments, have you ever wondered where the name “mosquito” came from? Here are some interesting facts about it:
The Spanish called the mosquitoes “musketas,” and the native Hispanic Americans called them “zancudos.” “Mosquito” is a Spanish or Portuguese word meaning “little fly” while “zancudos,” a Spanish word, means “long-legged.” The use of the word “mosquito” is apparently of North American origin and dates back to about 1583. In Europe, mosquitoes were called “gnats” by the English, “Les moucherons” or “Les cousins” by French writers, while the Germans used the name “Stechmucken” or “Schnacke.” In Scandinavian countries mosquitoes were called by a variety of names including “myg” and “myyga” and the Greeks called them “konopus.” In 300 B.C., Aristotle referred to mosquitoes as “empis” in his “Historia Animalium” where he documented their life cycle and metamorphic abilities. Modern writers used the name Culex and it is retained today as the name of a mosquito genus. What is the correct plural form of the word mosquito? In Spanish it would be “mosquitos,” but in English “mosquitoes” (with the “e”) is correct. Read more at Mosquito
Funny how these names eventually become universally accepted. Now you know a bit more about this bug.
Unexpected News
As the fight against mosquitoes continues, there is still a need to be on the lookout. As it turns out, a new mosquito type has been found on US soil. The following post explains this in detail:
The intruder was an Aedes vittatus mosquito. One of 3,500 mosquito species found across the globe, it is a new addition to the dozen or so species in North America that carry parasites or pathogens harmful to humans. Other mosquito species, like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, can transmit diseases like dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya. But unlike those others, Aedes vittatus is capable of carrying nearly all of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases, except for malaria.
“Being in close contact with these mosquitoes is not good news. They’re breeding in your bird bath and they’re feeding off your kids,” says Yvonne-Marie Linton, research director of the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit and curator of nearly 2 million specimens in the Smithsonian Institution’s US National Mosquito Collection. Read more at BBC
The fact that this is part of the news means that it is on the radar. Moreover, ongoing efforts are promising some good results.
A Breakthrough
Although the Aedes Aegypti mosquito was previously not in the US, it is now finding its way into the borders. However, a recent trial is proving to have the solution to the harmful effects of this type of mosquito:
A 27-month trial in Indonesia of a unique method of mosquito control shows that the strategy can reduce the incidence of dengue — a mosquito-borne viral disease of the tropics that threatens nearly half the world’s population — by 77%.
The method, which employs Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected by bacteria called Wolbachia, effectively prevents dengue-infected mosquitoes from passing on the virus when they bite people. The study, the preliminary results of which were released today (Wednesday, Aug. 26), looked only at dengue, but the mosquito control strategy may likely work for other viruses carried by A. aegypti mosquitoes, including Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Read more at Berkeley
Thankfully, the search for effective mosquito control measures is still on. You can count on the experts to deliver results.
Backyard Bug Patrol is willing and ready to offer you the much-needed mosquito control expertise at home. Yes, you don’t need to keep tolerating these annoying and deadly bugs. Call us today for reliable services.