There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the diseased that can be carried by mosquitoes these days. The fact is that a lot of people might be putting themselves at risk by not knowing all the facts, rather then believing the fiction. There are quite a lot of things that people might think about mosquitoes that aren't true and a lot of things that they haven't heard at all which could help to keep them safe.

One idea that i have heard is that some people think malaria isn't that dangerous these days because we now have more advanced treatments. Well i can tell you that malaria is still a bigger killer then cancer or even HIV, which are both deadly.While there are more advanced treatments than there were, they still aren't a cure, and the mortality rate for people with malaria is still very high. The countries who could afford to create more effective treatments or to research a cure don't want to because they aren't affected. And the poorer countries who need the cure cant afford to develop it, which creates a vicious circle.

Malaria is also more likely to be contracted by tourists rather then locals because they have are more attractive to the mosquitoes that carry it. Some people also think just because they have taken the precautionary medicines such as quinine before they traveled to a malaria country that this makes them completely safe. This of course is wrong, often malaria is resistant to a lot of the drugs that treat it. As well as this you can still get it even if you have taken the preventative drugs, so always be alert whenever traveling.

Another myth that people think makes them safe is that if they wear clothes they cant be bitten. Mosquitoes can easily either bite through thin clothing of can just crawl underneath your clothes. They are used to biting through the thick hides of animals, so a t-shirt is no barrier to them in their search for blood. Obviously being fully clothed as opposed to just wearing swimming shorts will help, but it is only a minor step.

Another thing that people tend to think is that mosquitoes are only dangerous in climates like Africa or parts of Asia. This misconception is completely wrong. There have been cases of west Nile fever that have reached as far north as Pennsylvania, and Florida has also been affected by similar diseases because of the swamps there. The reason more people die on those places due to mosquitoes is because of the fact that they are either very poor or have very low quality medical care available to them.

Most people don't tend to know that there actually hundreds of different species of mosquito as well. Between them they carry around 70 diseases that they pass on to us, and different species tend to carry different diseases. There are even species which don't bite humans, and the larvae of which actually eat other mosquito larvae, so they aren't all bad.

In general the best things to do if traveling to a country with a high risk of disease infection through mosquitoes is to be prepared. Taking the malaria pills before you go is essential of course. Secondly make sure you have a mosquito net around your bed and that your room has air conditioning. Mosquitoes don't tend to like the cold, it makes them sluggish and unable to fly, and eventually they die if exposed to it for too long. Wearing long sleeved clothes is also a must, as it a lot of repellent and some means of killing any that you find. A lot of hotels will have mosquito traps set around the rooms, so making sure you are near one is a good idea as well as this will keep more of them away from you.

Learn more about this author, Scott Heritage.
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