Mosquitoes are responsible for about 1 million deaths a year. This is followed by snakes at 50,000 deaths and dogs at 25,000 deaths (caused by feral dogs infected by rabies attacking people and spreading the disease). Out of over 3000 species of mosquitoes, the most dangerous 3 are Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes which spread malaria, yellow fever, Zika, and Dengue. And guess what, we have all 3 species right here in Singapore.
When mosquitos bite you, they suck the blood from deep layers of the skin through a particular mouth part known as the proboscis. The bump on your skin is nothing but the body's reaction to the saliva of mosquitoes.
What are the symptoms of mosquito bites?
Though the symptoms are mild and can go away within a few minutes, mosquito bites can be fatal, and they can lead to severe diseases that might lead to death.
Singapore’s humid weather coupled with Dengue makes it hard to differentiate between bites on the body sometimes. We thought we’d break it down for you:
Bed Bug Bites:
Just like Covid symptoms are very similar to that of the common flu, there is also some overlap with Dengue Fever. Here is a quick overview:
Diseases Spread by Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are so deadly because of the diseases and parasites that they spread. Other than Dengue Fever, there are 2 other diseases that we should be careful about, despite the relatively low incidence in Singapore:
Malaria is caused by a parasite that is spread through the bites of the female Anopheles mosquito. The initial symptoms of fever, headache, and chills may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria, plus they usually only appear 10-15 days after the bite. When left untreated, malaria can worsen to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
A mosquito becomes infected with the Dengue virus after it feeds on a person infected with Dengue. The mosquito then remains infective for the rest of its lifespan. If you’ve gotten bitten by an infective mosquito, the symptoms (sudden fever for 2-7 days, severe headache, skin rashes, nausea, joint, and muscle pain) typically show up only after 4-7 days. In fact, a large majority of Dengue infections are asymptomatic!
The Chikungunya Fever is another disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes. Other than mosquito bites, this can be picked up when people travel overseas to endemic areas like China, Taiwan, Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. The main difference between Chikungunya Fever and Dengue Fever is prolonged and severe joint pain and fatigue. Symptoms also show up 3-7 days after getting bitten but they can resolve over time.
As aforementioned, mosquitoes don't have a definite breeding location. Therefore eradicating them is very tiresome. But prevention would be easy, and we must follow simple steps to prevent mosquitoes.
Here are a few effective tips and tricks that can help you prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
What Would ORIGIN Do?
Dengue has always been a part of our lives, it is about time we learn to live with it more purposefully. Other than the usual preventive methods that are subject to human error, we want something that monitors the situation on our premises 24/7, and in real-time.
This is where the ORIGIN 3+1 Mosquito Management Program fits right in. Our holistic solution is driven by data analytics and our expertise to provide you with a strategic action plan that actually works:
Find out how this can work for you!
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