What is Aedes Mosquito and How Does it Make You Sick?
What is Aedes Mosquito and How Does it Make You Sick?
While not all species of mosquitoes carry disease, the Aedes mosquito, which can be found in tropical areas like Malaysia, does. Aedes mosquitoes may carry diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever that make you sick.
For diseases like dengue, where there is no treatment, prevention is the best ‘cure’.[4] So, is there any way to tell which mosquitoes are Aedes and which are not? Let’s learn more about it.
What is an Aedes mosquito?
The Aedes mosquito is a family of mosquitoes. Aedes is known as the “tiger mosquito” due to its appearance. There are many species of the Aedes mosquito, for example:[1][2]
- Aedes aegypti
- Aedes albopictus
- Aedes polynesiensis
- Aedes japonicus
- Aedes atropalpus
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the most common types of Aedes mosquitoes responsible for spreading dengue fever.[2] Other diseases known to be transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes include chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika virus.[2]
Certain species of Aedes mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, tend to be more prevalent in urban settings.[9] This leads to high transmission of diseases and outbreaks.[9][11]
How to recognize the Aedes mosquito?
Adult Aedes mosquitoes have narrow bodies.[1] The abdomen, legs, and thorax (the part that connects the head and abdomen) are striped in white and black.[1]
The adult female Aedes mosquito's abdomen has a pointy tip.[1] Only female mosquitoes feed on human blood for the development of their eggs.[3]
Besides body shape and color, another thing that differentiates Aedes is that it is most active during the day.[1]The peak time it feeds is in the morning at dawn and in the evening before dusk.[1][4]
Adult mosquitoes can usually live for 2 weeks.[3] However, female mosquitoes can lay dozens of eggs up to 5 times during their lifetime.[4] These mosquito eggs are also very resistant to weather and can survive up to several months.[1]
How the Aedes mosquito spreads dengue?
The Aedes mosquito spreads diseases, like dengue, by biting a person infected with the illness. The virus will then replicate within the mosquito.[4] When an infected mosquito bites the next person, the dengue virus is transmitted to them.[4]
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an intermittent biter and prefers to feed on several individuals during feeding.[4] This spreads the dengue virus quickly within an area, sometimes causing an outbreak.[9] Aedes aegypti has become one of the main dengue vectors in dengue-endemic areas.[4]
Banish Aedes From Our Home
One way to keep diseases like dengue at bay is to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your homes and living areas. Here are some steps that you can take to banish mosquitoes from your surroundings:[6][7]
Clear stagnant water in all areas of the house. Some common areas include flower pots, roof gutters, and basins.
Cover or overturn water containers to prevent water from pooling.
Add larvicide (to kill mosquito larvae) or fish to bodies of stagnant water or change standing water frequently.
Routine fogging to kill adult mosquitoes, especially in areas/seasons with high dengue cases.[8]
Other methods to protect yourself from dengue include:[6][7]
Using mosquito nets around your bed or installing mosquito meshes at your window.
Wearing long-sleeved clothing and trousers in bright colors when going outdoors.
Using mosquito repellent.
Avoiding outdoor activities during the peak hours of mosquito feeding (dawn and dusk).
Recently, vaccination has been added to the list of dengue prevention methods in Malaysia. Consult your doctor to see if this is a suitable prevention strategy for you and your loved ones. Everyone is at risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Taking an integrated approach with all the methods above may be helpful.
Let’s do our best to protect ourselves and others from dengue.
References
Rogers, K. Encyclopedia Britannica. Aedes | Description, Life Cycle, & Disease Transmission. | https://tinyurl.com/2twp6hcb | Accessed 24 August, 2022.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Mosquito Factsheets. | https://tinyurl.com/452pwtxb | Accessed 24 August, 2022.
National Environment Agency. Aedes mosquito | https://tinyurl.com/2yu2b7s9 | Accessed 24 August, 2022.
World Health Organization. Dengue and Severe Dengue | https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue | Accessed 24 August, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquito Life Cycles | https://tinyurl.com/3f9v4a6s | Accessed 24 August, 2022.
Idengue. Langkah Pencegahan | https://tinyurl.com/2hdpands | Accessed 25 August, 2022.
InfoSihat. Demam Denggi | https://infosihat.moh.gov.my/demam-denggi.html | Accessed 25 August, 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Mosquito fogging will not harm you, reminds WHO and Solomon Islands Ministry of Health. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/48uvy3wu | Accessed on 19 November 2024.
Kolimenakis A, Heinz S, Wilson ML, et al. The role of urbanization in the spread of Aedes mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit-A systematic review | https://tinyurl.com/mr23ecud | Accessed 22 October 2024.
World Health Organization. Vector-borne diseases: Fact sheets | https://tinyurl.com/4tyjbwwy | Accessed on October 22, 2024.
The Star. Selangor sees 46,454 dengue cases, 14 deaths since January | https://tinyurl.com/3fhyryhz | Accessed 22 August, 2022.
C-ANPROM/MY/DENV/0070 DEC 2024
This article is brought to you by Takeda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Disclaimer: This information is available to the public for informational purposes only; it should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not intended to substitute consultation with a healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice.
Written By Sofia Farudz, MBBS Bch BAO, National University of Ireland, Galway on
Reviewed By DoctorOnCall Panel Doctor
