The Caribbean Island Of Trinidad

The one thing that could keep me inside on a nice summer’s day is the threat of mosquitoes. Where they bite me, I swell up and itch for days afterwards. It’s a hard choice between slathering myself in nasty smelling insect repellant or staying inside. Sometimes even with the insect repellant I still get bit. To add insult to injury, they sometimes get in the house and attack me. They seem to be an annoyance I can’t escape. I’m lucky that the mosquitoes that bite me don’t carry dangerous diseases like the ones in other counties. Daniel Engber who wrote the article “Let’s Kill All the Mosquitoes” has the solution to our problem. He makes a great argument to kill the dangerous mosquitoes and it’s very well supported with credible sources.

In today’s society, there is a dispute on whether mosquitoes should be eradicated or not. At first I didn’t realize how dangerous mosquitoes can be until I read these two articles. However, after reading them, I believe that we shouldn’t focus on eradicating mosquitoes because of the change it can have in our world. So it is essential to understand both the negative and positive sides of mosquitoes, and find a way to lower the threat of mosquitoes to humans without eradicating the entire species.

Ecological factors that encourage the Anopheles mosquito, and thus also encourage the prevalence of malaria include: being near the equator, densely populated areas, warmer temperatures, standing water, maintaining water for irrigation and deforested areas. (Holy p.1)

It tropical and sub-tropical climates temperature, humidity, and rainfall work together to create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a host for communicable diseases one in particular is called malaria. Malaria is a parasitic disease that infects a particular type of mosquito, Anopheles mosquitoes, which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented (Global Health - Division of

Department of Health. (2009, April). Information Sheet: Malathion and Mosquito Control. Retrieved July 11, 2011, from New York State department of health: http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2740/

Mosquitoes are the host to many diseases the pose a threat to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Endemic birds are the most affected by the transmission of avian diseases through mosquitoes. Controlling the mosquito popular is key in bringing back the native bird population.

Background - Malaria is a water borne disease. It is spread by a parasite-carrying mosquito. It kills many people and reduces a country 's capacity to develop. There are different strategies to combat malaria. Around half the population is at risk of malaria and this disease is active in 106 counties across Africa, Asian and the Americas (see source 3). the global annual mortality from malaria is between 1.5 - 3 million deaths, or between 4000 and 8000 each day. Developing countries are most vulnerable to Malaria and as shown on source 2 Malaria has been spread across many various other countries including in Europe, but these countries have eradicated Malaria.

We have all been victims of them. They’re often disgusted and feared by many. One might think they’re just the annoying little critter that terrorized our daily activities. Needless to say, they’re one of the deadliest animals in the animal kingdom. You might think a big ferocious lion or a velocipede shark might be the animal with the most fatalities. This tiny insect is the major cause of approximately 1 million dead annually according to the World Health Organization. Although this might surprise you, it’s not uncommon for mosquitos to be responsibilities of many deaths around the world. What will astonish you is that history tends to repeat itself. This deadly critter has been responsible for many major events that eventually cause the

The World Health Organization (WHO) says as many as 4 million people could be infected in the next year in America. Subsequently, “On January 27th, Brazilian health officials reported a total of 4,180 cases since October 2015, and 287 more cases more cases a week earlier.” (Rosen 16). Health officials take a lot of time investigating many cases that have appeared in more than 20 countries, including the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The amount is rising more and more. In addition, the only places that were recorded to not receive the mosquito-borne virus were Canada and Chile, because of their lack of a large mosquito population. However, what does that mean for the

Due to the fact that there is currently no risk of malaria in the Republic of Cuba, malaria is not an issue in the Republic of Cuba. The Republic of Cuba however, would like to help countries or territories at risk with their knowledge and experience they have had with malaria. After vector control efforts during

Malaria can be treated using both vaccines and other prescription drugs. In developed countries this has effectively negated Malaria as a public health threat. For instance, in the United States there are only 1500 cases of malaria per year, all of which are linked to travel to tropical regions in Africa and South America. Unfortunately, less developed regions do not have the proper infrastructure to produce, store or distribute these drugs. Third-world efforts are focused on prevention rather than treatment. The majority of Malaria funding is allocated to two different prevention concepts, Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN’s) and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). Nets are made of finely woven fabrics which provide a physical barrier between infected mosquitoes and humans. Mosquitoes which land on the nets absorb insecticide which kills them. Nets can be costly, and have a high rate of misuse, as many villagers use them to fish. The alternative to ITN’s is the practice of Indoor Residual Spraying of insecticides. This is very effective in sprayed areas, but is stationary and poisonous to the

It has been estimated that 609 million people in Africa are at risk of having malaria (Mabaso et al 2007, p. 35). Almost 34% of the populations in Zambia live in endemic risk areas, while 48% of the populations are in epidemic risk (Guerra et al., 2008, p.54; WHO

J.R. McNeil’s book was all together a good read. His use of information in the book gives you a different perspective on Caribbean history. Instead of it being solely based on human interactions, he explains the history through mosquitos, vectors, and diseases (specifically malaria and yellow fervor) and how these effected the people as well as the ecosystem around them. He ties human interaction with mosquitos infected with diseases and explains how they are intertwine with one another for hundreds of years. He states that the diseases transmitted affected the fate of the Natives in the Caribbean and the wars with the foreigners to the lands that were sent from Europe to control the lands until modern medicine could stop the effects of these

The autogeny is the ability of some species of mosquitoes to lay eggs without consuming blood, allowing them to maintain the species when they are not near hosts. In Aedes albopictus and Ae . aegypti have been reported autogenous strains of these species in different countries , but in Colombia is not yet have studies on the presence of this

Malaria (also called biduoterian fever, blackwater fever, falciparum malaria, plasmodium, Quartan malaria, and tertian malaria) is one of the most infectious and most common diseases in the world. This serious, sometimes-fatal disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a certain species of mosquito called the Anopheles. It claims more lives every year than any other transmissible disease except tuberculosis. Every year, five hundred million adults and children (around nine percent of the world’s population) contract the disease and of these, one hundred million people die. Children are more susceptible to the disease than adults, and in Africa, where ninety percent of the world’s cases occur and where eighty percent of the cases