Very short story about mosquito and malaria

 21 July 2023



This week in the middle of night, a mosquito bit me, filling its belly full with my blood. This was my first encounter in this season. I took my revenge by killing it within my palms. Blood stain on my palms is memory now. A mosquito season has arrived for me and my family. It is a bit late for us, though incidence of mosquito-borne diseases was reported about a month ago especially in the crowded colonies where sanitation is poor and mosquitoes breed in abundance from a city where I live.

Everyone in the country (India) encountered the mosquitoes and the mosquito-borne diseases at one time or other in one’s life time. Every year, monsoon brings in the news of mosquitoes and diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other diseases.

Fortunately, incidence of mosquito-borne malaria is on decline in India. And so is the case with the human deaths. In 2022, out of about 45000 cases of malaria infection, 50 people died of it in India. But, this figure is higher than many other countries in Asia. Is that due to our complacency? Incidence of malaria in Africa, Mediterranean region and Latin America is however a matter of concern. Malaria kills more than half a million people in the world, as it resists the medication over time and remains stubborn to be wiped out in some regions.

Nature, an UK publication, has comprehensively summarized the current status of malaria in its outlook feature dated 28 June 2023 (https://www.nature.com).  We had a news of the first and only vaccine for malaria, RTS,S to children being used in Africa some months back. And this is a beginning as many more vaccines controlling every stage of malarial development are expected. Monoclonal antibodies are other options. I am not sure if vaccines too are controversial in the region where malarial prevalence is high. But surely, some are opposed to them. Malarial parasite, Plasmodium spp that spread through mosquito bites has developed resistance to medicines. And mosquitoes too have evolved resistance to most insecticides in many localities. And not many chemical options are available.  Genetic control involving GM mosquitoes has shown promise, but remains sceptical in view of its unintended effects on human health and environment. Climate change may aggravate to these owes further, far and wide.

So, it is back to integrated pest management [IPM], with best of technologies available at hand to stop the mosquitoes from breeding and living a day more. Citizen science and participation is a need of hour for IPM approach to succeed.

Credit: briefing@nature.com dated 20.07.2023 

Comments

  1. Anonymous21 July 2023 at 17:03

    Nice information for common people to understand ..... Dileep Gujar

    ReplyDelete

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