What diseases can mosquitoes carry? Mosquitoes as vectors of infection

The mosquitoes this year are just hellish. For example, in the Voronezh region, 40 residents (33 of them are children) have already gone to the doctor because of bites from these insects.

Main complaints - allergic reactions: severe itching, swelling of the face and eyelids, as well as scratching and pyoderma (complications after scratching), anxiety and sleep disturbances in young children, comment the regional health department.

Mosquitoes are everywhere there - not only in the forest and on the streets, but everywhere in general, they are even found in bread.

One evening I came home and started to get hysterical: the hoods were open, but there wasn’t even a squeak in the apartment - there was a hum. I turned on the light in the kitchen and was horrified: the entire ceiling was covered in mosquitoes! Then I went into the bathroom and was completely shocked: all the walls were speckled, the tiles were simply not visible. I grabbed a vacuum cleaner and walked around the rooms to collect insects, but this did not help for long. Apparently, the vents became breeding grounds for mosquitoes - there were more and more of them every day, local resident Alisa complains to the media.

According to environmentalists, what is happening is due to river flooding - the Don has overflowed its banks. The situation was aggravated by warm, humid weather - ideal conditions for laying larvae.

Reservoirs are places where larvae hatch. If roadside ditches, large puddles, and streams have not dried up in the spring, then it reproduces there. great amount larvae,” explained entomologist, laboratory employee at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Marina Krivosheina.

In Russia, according to the entomologist, mosquitoes mainly live in two genera - Kulik and Aedes. They differ in behavior: some attack at dusk, others attack throughout the day.

We are already accustomed to mosquitoes, so they seem to us inevitable, but not a very big evil. It turns out that this is not always the case (and residents of the Voronezh region were convinced of this). Few people know how much dangerous diseases can carry these pesky blood suckers.

Dirofilariasis

taxi drivers." A mosquito bites a person and injects the larvae of these worms into him.

Most often, cats and dogs catch this disease, but humans can also become infected. For example, this year the disease was found in a woman in the Kurgan region. Last year, mosquitoes infected six residents of the Omsk region and seven residents of the Voronezh region. In 2016, two residents of Tomsk became infected. These are only those cases that were reported in the media.

Medical scientists from Simferopol write in detail about dirofilariasis in their scientific work"Human dirofilariasis." It says that in Russia the disease occurs mainly in the south (Volgograd, Rostov region, Krasnodar region). But in last years cases of the disease were also recorded where the climate is temperate (Moscow, Ryazan, Lipetsk regions, regions of the Urals and Siberia).

Allergy

Mosquitoes are also dangerous because they can cause allergies. It even has a special name - insect. In general, insect allergies are reactions that occur after “communication” with all insects (wasps, bees, caterpillars, and so on). This happens, according to experts, in approximately 15% of people. In the case of mosquitoes, their saliva is especially dangerous.

Scientists from Smolensk State medical university interviewed several dozen respondents to understand how often people encounter this problem. It turned out that 35% of respondents are allergic to mosquito bites.

In most cases, this is manifested by local reactions: swelling at the site of the bite, severe itching, redness. Some experience difficulty breathing (runny nose, shortness of breath). Rarely, but still with an allergic reaction to a mosquito there may be anaphylactic shock(accompanied by severe swelling of the mucous membranes, which can lead to death).

Infection

Mosquito bites themselves, even if the mosquito is not infected with any virus or helminthiasis, can be dangerous. Remember how much the bites itch - sometimes you can scratch until it bleeds. What if there are a lot of bites? Then “scabies” begins all over the body. As a result, open wounds can form that become infected.

Education open wound- this in itself is dangerous. If you do not treat the injured area in time, there is a risk that an infection will get there. This is, of course, very serious. You can introduce, for example, streptococcus or staphylococcus bacteria. Infection of an open wound can even lead to sepsis (blood poisoning), explained therapist Anastasia Krasnova.

By the way, in order not to scratch the wound too much, the pharmacy sells special cooling gels. Doctors advise not to neglect them in order to prevent unpleasant consequences.

Tropical fevers

And yet we can say that mosquitoes in our latitudes are not as aggressive as, for example, in the tropics. However, even in Russia you can become infected with tropical fevers from a mosquito.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, in 2017, viral fevers, including dengue fever and West Nile fever ( infectious diseases, which are carried by mosquitoes) more than 6 thousand people were sick in Russia, which is 33% more than in 2016. Most Russians, of course, bring such “souvenirs” from vacation, but some of the sick became infected at home.

If in middle lane In Russia this is unlikely, but in the south of the Krasnodar Territory it is quite possible. This is where mosquitoes of the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species live - they carry diseases such as the Zika virus (which affects brain tissue) and malaria (which causes bouts of fever).

By the way, earlier a group of Russian scientists said that with climate warming, new horizons will open up for these mosquitoes. If by 2034 it becomes warmer by 2 C°, mosquitoes will take over many regions of Russia and fly even to Kola Peninsula, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

How to protect yourself

All means of protection against mosquitoes have long been known. These are, first of all, repellents - various sprays, lotions, ointments, spirals that repel insects.

But do not forget that such protective equipment can be hazardous to health. For example, as Life previously did, the main component in some popular repellents is diethyltoluamide. This Chemical substance if over-applied (and repellents are usually sprayed all over the body in copious amounts) has neurotoxic effect(that is, it affects nervous system- for example, convulsions may begin, headache, fainting).

This repellent component is toxic and therefore unsafe to use. In addition to possible allergic reactions it can have an irritating effect on the nervous system. If it gets inside the body or on mucous membranes, poisoning is possible up to fatal outcome,” explained chemist Anastasia Naumova.

Of course, a significant portion of repellents are not harmless. But if you choose non-toxic ones and use them correctly (spray without getting on mucous membranes and without swallowing the contents of the can), then no problems will arise, added Anastasia Naumova.

According to entomologist Marina Krivosheina, repellents have proven themselves to be effective means to repel insects. But there are other ways to protect yourself.

If you are going to relax in the forest, you should wear light clothes and throw a mosquito net over your face. It is also advisable to install such a grid on the windows at home. Animals also need to be protected - there are repellents for them too,” she said.

In general, the expert summarizes, mosquitoes in Russia are a temporary natural disaster. All that remains is to wait for the insects to hibernate. Then we too can breathe easier. Brace yourself people, winter is coming!

What unpleasant diseases are mosquitoes to blame for, how to recognize them dangerous symptoms and what can be done for prevention

Mosquitoes are found everywhere except Antarctica. Interestingly, regardless of their habitat, be it conservative Russia, where there are still moms and dads, or some progressive France with its “parent one” and “parent two,” mosquitoes show clear gender differences.

Male mosquitoes are strict vegetarians, feed on nectar, and live short lives. In the evenings they swarm and wait for females. As for the females, they also drink nectar until they meet their male. But after mating, the ladies go wild and go in search of blood. Having smelled prey several kilometers away, they pounce on all living things. Having sucked blood and calmed down a little, mosquitoes lay eggs in bodies of water, after which they become aggressive again - the cycle repeats. Female mosquitoes live from 3 weeks to 3 months.

Unforeseen danger

In addition to the actual bites and local reactions On them, mosquitoes can be a source of real danger. In many countries mosquitoes different types carry various diseases. Among the most famous are malaria, yellow fever, Zika, Dengue, and Chikugunya fevers.

When planning a vacation, especially with children, especially with possible excursions to wild and protected places outside the tourist areas, remember that vivid impressions from visiting some jungle can be completely offset by subsequent long-term diagnostics and treatment. Calculate carefully possible risks and consequences. However, even without leaving Russia you can suffer no less from bloodsuckers.

Imported malaria

Few people remember, but back in the first half of the 20th century, malaria was a serious problem in the Soviet Union. Thus, in 1945, more than 4 million people suffered from malaria in the USSR. Thanks to the use of insecticides and mass treatment of patients, by 1960 malaria was almost completely controlled. From that time to the present day, mainly imported cases of malaria (from tropical countries) have been recorded in Russia.

Nevertheless, since the beginning of the 2000s, cases of malaria have been regularly observed in Moscow, which cannot be explained by “importation”: dozens of patients who have not traveled outside the Moscow region for years still manage to catch this disease.

This is because malaria is easily transmitted from person to person through mosquito bites. If a traveler returning home from Africa with malaria to the Tver region is bitten by a mosquito, then malarial plasmodia will begin to develop in the stomach of the insect. This usually takes several weeks, depending on ambient temperature, after which the malaria pathogens penetrate the salivary apparatus of the mosquito, which can now infect another person with malaria.

By the way, we have plenty of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles (the so-called malaria ones). This means that with the slightest weakening of control, malaria could again become a typical disease for Russia.

Malaria is an extremely dangerous disease. High fever, anemia, defeat internal organs leads to the death of every hundredth sick person. Therefore, if you have recently returned, for example, from India and become ill with high temperature, be sure to inform your doctor about your trip. The disease can appear within 3 years (!) after infection.

A vaccine against malaria is still being developed, so if you are going to a country where malaria is endemic, you must take special drugs preventively, use repellents and mosquito-proof clothing.

Some modern effective medicines against malaria in Russia, unfortunately, are not registered, but they are in free sale in countries where malaria is common.

Therefore, if your temperature rises while on vacation in an exotic country, it is better not to delay seeing a doctor until you return to Russia, but try to consult with a local doctor, who is most likely aware of specific local diseases and their optimal treatment.

West Nile fever (WNF)

Despite the exotic name, the disease regularly occurs in the southern regions of Russia, especially in the Volgograd, Saratov and Astrakhan regions, at the end of summer. The main reservoir of WNV in nature is birds.

The incubation period ranges from 3 days to 3 weeks. The disease is caused by an arbovirus and occurs with a clinical picture of serious meningitis - fever, headache, rash.

Every year in the Russian Federation several hundred cases of the disease are registered, the mortality rate reaches 5%, greatest risk- in weakened and elderly patients. However, it is believed that the majority of those bitten by infected mosquitoes cope with the WNV virus without any serious symptoms- the probability of developing a serious illness when infected with the virus varies from 1:140 to 1:256.

Thus, if in 2012 447 cases of WNV were registered in Russia, it can be assumed that at the same time about 60–90 thousand people suffered from subclinical WNV.

Reliably active drugs and there is no vaccine against WNV yet.

Dirofilariasis

Ophthalmologists periodically detect ocular dirofilariasis. Sometimes patients themselves discover a strange thin white thread under the conjunctiva of their eyes. Rarely, pulmonary dirofilariasis occurs, in which X-rays show small shadows in the lungs.

Such troubles can await you, even if you do not leave the house. Therefore, do not neglect mosquito nets and fumigators, and be sure to use repellents in nature. And let the bloodsuckers fly around you a kilometer away.

@ Mikhail Nikolsky

Surprisingly, most individuals of the mosquito family feed on flower nectar or plant sap. But there are also such representatives, more precisely, representatives of the species, whose oral apparatus is adapted for piercing skin mammals. Everyone knows that only female mosquitoes bite - the blood of a person or animal allows them to accumulate vitality for deposition more fertilized eggs. In addition, blood glucose in warm-blooded species allows females to accumulate the necessary energy for more active reproduction.

How a mosquito finds its prey

Insects of this species prefer to live in damp, even swampy places. During the day they are in a state decreased activity, but with the coming of twilight they come to life and go in search of victims. Female mosquitoes find their victims based on one of the following factors:

The mosquito that has bitten you, first of all, injects an anticoagulant into the wound, the action of which is aimed at preventing blood clotting. It is this substance that causes itching at the site of the bite, which can sometimes reach allergic manifestations varying degrees gravity.

Video “Why do they bite”

From the video you will learn why mosquitoes can bite.

What diseases are carried

Mosquitoes are carriers of many diseases, which can sometimes cause significant harm to health. The causative agent of such diseases enters the blood healthy body from a patient, and is transmitted by mosquitoes through a bite. Mosquitoes are carriers of many diseases, but several of them are the most common in our latitudes. What diseases do mosquitoes carry? You will find the answer to this question below.

Malaria

Lymphatic filariasis

The disease is helminthic infestation organism, which is widely distributed in Asia, Africa and South America. The intensive development of the tourism business, unfortunately, can cause significant harm to people: tourists who arrive from regions “dangerous” in terms of morbidity can be unwitting carriers of infection. It is noteworthy that mosquitoes are capable of transmitting the causative agent of this disease – the filaria nematode.

The complexity of the disease cannot be underestimated - the number of fatal cases is quite high.

Tularemia

This disease affects The lymph nodes and is characterized by fever and intoxication. The infection is carried by wild animals; therefore, it can be contracted from ordinary mosquitoes; these insects are the carriers of the pathogen.
Of course, a transmitted microorganism can reach a person through another transit - from ticks or as a result of cutting up a killed animal, but most often it is mosquitoes that cause harm to our health. Tularemia is a very dangerous disease: in some regions of our country, which are particularly favorable conditions for the pathogen, even vaccination of the population is provided.

West Nile fever

Another one for sure dangerous illness, which can be contracted from a simple mosquito bite. Carriers of the infection are birds and rodents, but in order to be able to get into human body, the virus requires transit through an insect.
The course of the disease is characterized mass destruction mucous surfaces and intoxication. The patient has a fever and is characterized by a state of weakness.

Yellow Fever, or amaryllosis

This disease, which causes irreparable harm to health, refers exclusively to the list of diseases mosquitoes carry. Is it possible to get infected with it in another way? Certainly not. The disease is severe, accompanied by high body temperature and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

Can little ones blood-sucking insects cause a serious illness, which in many cases leads to the death of the patient? Sadly, maybe. And although medicine does not stand still, the ailments that people suffer from due to mosquitoes are not decreasing. Take care of yourself.

Video “What diseases do insects carry”

From the video you will learn what diseases flying insects carry.

This time on our website about animals Zverey.Ru there will be an unusual article, even shocking to some extent. And it will be dedicated not so much to animals (insects), but to the consequences that occur from these dipterans. Next you will learn about different kinds mosquitoes and the diseases they can cause. Note that some types of mosquitoes can carry several different dangerous viruses, while other types - only one disease.

Mosquitoes are recognized worldwide as the leading cause of a number of different diseases. These diseases are transmitted to humans through the bite of a mosquito. However, not all mosquitoes bite, but only their females, wanting to feed their offspring. And caring for offspring is common to all animals (example:). And they only carry diseases individual species mosquitoes, but not all. To avoid infection, we need to know as much as possible about diseases, and scientists would also like to find a way to control the mosquito population.

Zika virus (ZIKV) - an unpleasant surprise from a feverish mosquito

The Zika virus has attracted Special attention all over the world not so long ago - in 2016. Then there was irrefutable evidence of its connection with microcephaly. This is a disease in which babies are born with a defect - an abnormally small skull size. 1 February from World Organization health care there was a statement about the emergence of a global emergency, and on April 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the Zika virus is indeed capable of causing a rare birth defect and other severe fetal abnormalities.

Transmitted by the bite of the yellow fever mosquito, the Zika virus is now observed in 40 countries around the world. Information about cases of sexual transmission of the virus has also become available. According to Margaret Chan, who heads the WHO, reports and studies from a number of countries convincingly prove that sexual transmission of the virus is much more common than previously believed.

ZIKV manifests itself with the following symptoms:

slight rise in temperature;
the appearance of a rash;
conjunctivitis;
headache, as well as muscle and joint pain.

The time for symptoms to appear is from 3 to 10 days. However, the majority of infected people (up to 80% of cases) may have no symptoms at all. They don't even know they have the virus.

There are currently no vaccines or treatments available for the Zika virus. Infected people are prescribed to rest as much as possible, consume a large number of drinking to prevent dehydration and antifever medicines.

Dengue fever from Asia and Caribbean resorts

Dengue fever can be found mainly in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. But the United States could not avoid it either. In the summer of 2001, it infected four people on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Also, 2248 cases of imported dengue fever were reported during 1977-1994.

The carrier of the virus is the yellow fever mosquito, which feeds mainly in daytime days. The time for symptoms to appear is 4-7 days. These include:

rising temperatures (like the Zika virus);
headache;
pain in the eyes, joints and muscles;
the appearance of a rash on the arms and legs (as in ZIKV).

Death is rare from dengue fever. However, as the disease progresses, it can become hemorrhagic fever Dengue is a more severe disease characterized by abnormal bleeding and very low blood pressure.

Chikungunya (CHIKV): "common gift" from the fever mosquito and the tiger mosquito

Chikungunya refers to viral diseases transmitted between people by the bite of an infected mosquito. The vectors are the yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito.

The first case of the disease was reported in Tanzania in 1952. Since then, it has long gone beyond Africa. Today it is known in 40 countries of Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. The disease gets its name from a verb in the Kimakonde language, the translation of which is “to become twisted.” This very accurately describes the stooped posture of people suffering from joint pain.

Duration incubation period, as a rule, 3-7 days. Symptoms include:

a sharp rise in temperature;
joint pain, swelling;
chills, headache;
nausea, vomiting;
lumbar pain;
appearance of a rash.

The symptoms are largely the same as those of dengue fever. But unlike the latter, infected with the virus Chikungunya does not have hemorrhages (bleeding) and they do not go into shock. No vaccine or medicine has been invented for Chikungunya. Patients are advised to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take medications to relieve fever and pain.

Malaria from a malarial mosquito (no pun intended)

One of the most common mosquito-borne diseases is malaria. According to WHO data, every year it affects at least 300-500 million people in Africa, India, South-East Asia, Middle East, Oceania, Central and South America. Malaria has been known for several thousand years. Its symptoms were described in ancient Chinese medical works in 2700 BC. It is known from history that the disease almost caused the construction of the Panama Canal to stop. In 1906, more than 26,000 canal builders were infected, of whom 21,000 were forced to be hospitalized in order to somehow cope with the epidemic.

Transmission of malaria occurs through the bites of female malaria mosquitoes, also called “malaria vectors.” They bite primarily at night. Among symptoms of malarial disease are observed:

anemia;
fever;
chills;
nausea;
influenza-like illnesses.

In severe cases, coma and death occur.

Bloodlust

Unforeseen danger

In addition to the actual bites and local reactions to them, mosquitoes can be a source of real danger. In many countries, different types of mosquitoes carry different diseases. Among the most famous are malaria, yellow fever, Zika, Dengue, and Chikugunya fevers.

When planning a vacation, especially with children, especially with possible excursions to wild and protected places outside of tourist areas, remember that the vivid impressions of visiting some jungle can be completely neutralized by subsequent lengthy diagnostics and treatment. Carefully consider possible risks and consequences. However, even without leaving Russia you can suffer no less from bloodsuckers.

Imported malaria

Few people remember, but back in the first half of the 20th century, malaria was a serious problem in the Soviet Union. Thus, in 1945, more than 4 million people suffered from malaria in the USSR. Thanks to the use of insecticides and mass treatment By 1960, malaria had been almost completely overcome. From that time to the present day, mainly imported cases of malaria (from tropical countries) have been recorded in Russia.

This is because malaria is easily transmitted from person to person through mosquito bites. If a traveler returning home from Africa with malaria to the Tver region is bitten by a mosquito, then malarial plasmodia will begin to develop in the stomach of the insect. This usually takes several weeks, depending on the ambient temperature, after which the malaria pathogens penetrate the salivary apparatus of the mosquito, which can now infect another person with malaria.

Malaria is an extremely dangerous disease. High fever, anemia, and damage to internal organs lead to the death of every hundredth sick person. Therefore, if you have recently returned, for example, from India and become ill with a high fever, be sure to inform your doctor about your trip. The disease can appear within 3 years (!) after infection.

The malaria vaccine is still being developed, so if you are going to a country where malaria is endemic, you need to take special preventive medications, use repellents and mosquito-resistant clothing.

Some modern effective medicines for malaria are, unfortunately, not registered in Russia, but they are freely available in countries where malaria is common.

West Nile fever (WNF)

The incubation period ranges from 3 days to 3 weeks. The disease is caused by an arbovirus and occurs with a clinical picture of serious meningitis - fever, headache, rash.

Every year in the Russian Federation several hundred cases of the disease are registered, the mortality rate reaches 5%, the greatest risk is in weakened and elderly patients. It is believed that the majority of those bitten by infected mosquitoes cope with the WNV virus without any serious symptoms - the probability of developing serious illness when infected with the virus varies from 1:140 to 1:256.

Thus, if in 2012 447 cases of WNV were registered in Russia, it can be assumed that at the same time about 60–90 thousand people suffered from subclinical WNV.

There are no reliable drugs or vaccines against WNV yet.

Dirofilariasis

Mikhail Nikolsky

Photo istockphoto.com