Can Mosquitoes Kill You in England?
WouterWhether you’re living in the UK or abroad, you can be at risk of getting a mosquito-borne disease. There are a number of different diseases which can be spread by mosquitoes, including dengue fever, chikungunya, malaria and West Nile fever.
Malaria is the deadliest disease mosquitoes can transmit to humans. It is estimated that up to half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria. Hundreds of thousands of people become sick with malaria each year. The disease is preventable, but it is often fatal.
Mosquitoes are also at risk of transmitting diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Female mosquitoes can also spread diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, which is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
Mosquitoes have been around for over 210 million years. They have been found in all continents except Antarctica. They live in warm water, and are easily identified by their distinctive black and white stripes.
Mosquitoes are also the leading causes of death worldwide. In the US alone, they kill almost one million people a year. A recent study estimates that a billion more people could be exposed to mosquito-borne infections in the next fifty years.
The disease is spread by female mosquitoes, who bite humans to feed on their blood. The bites can cause painful and harmful allergic reactions. They can also carry parasites which cause lymphatic filariasis.
There are a few mosquito species which are known to transmit disease. These include certain species of Aedea, Culex, and Anopheles.
