Today, Monday, August 20th, 2012 is World Mosquito Day.
115 years ago on this date (in 1897), British doctor Sir Ronald Ross made the historic discovery that Malaria was transmitted via female mosquitoes to humans.
After dissecting mosquitoes known to have fed on a patient with malaria, Ross discovered the malaria parasite in the stomach wall of the mosquito. Using malarious birds, Ross was able to determine the complete life cycle of the Malaria parasite, including presence in an infected mosquito’s salivary glands. Through his studies and research, Ross confirmed the transmission of Malaria parasites via infected birds to healthy ones by mosquito bites, a finding that implied the disease’s mode of transmission to humans. This finding and breakthrough in medicine, earned Dr. Ross the Nobel prize for medicine in 1902.
It is important to know, that mosquito-borne disease are still prevalent worldwide and are a global health concern. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates around 350-500 million cases of Malaria occur worldwide each year, and more than one million deaths are attributed to Malaria, constituting mostly of young children in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism.
For more information on World Mosquito Day, visit the Malaria No More website and view their “Guide to World Mosquito Day” video here.
Mosquito Squad is proud to partner with Malaria No More in the fight to make Malaria, No More. For more information on ways that you can help, please visit here.
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