Do Mosquitoes Kill Other Animals?

Thousands of animals, from birds to cats, get their nourishment from mosquitoes. These long-legged insects are known for spreading a variety of diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, and dengue. They are also known to transmit the Zika virus.

There are about 2,500 mosquito species in the world. Each species has its own feeding and reproductive pattern. They are very good at adapting to human intervention. For example, the Anopheles mosquito, which is responsible for the spread of malaria, has adapted to urban environments. It has also developed resistance to widely used insecticides.

These mosquitoes can cause a host of diseases, including encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis. Its saliva also transmits dengue virus. These diseases are deadly. Thousands of people die from mosquito-borne diseases each year.

The mosquito has a very fast reproductive rate. Female mosquitoes have a life span of about a week. They need protein and lipids to produce eggs. Female mosquitoes also inject an enzyme into their blood that inhibits clotting.

Some mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, feed on humans exclusively. They lay their eggs in a wide variety of outdoor and indoor containers.

Aedes aegypti has also adapted to urban environments, and is a vector of zika and yellow fever. These diseases can cause long-term neurological effects in infants born to infected mothers.

Mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading filariasis, a disease that can cause elephantiasis. The disease can cause severe pain and swollen limbs. It is one of the world’s leading causes of disability.