Tiny mosquito has huge impact on human settlement over thousands of years
Kampala: Despite its tiny size, the mosquito has shaped human history more than perhaps any other insect. Responsible for transmitting diseases that have affected millions of people, mosquitoes continue to command the attention of researchers around the world. For scientists working to combat malaria, understanding the mosquito remains one of the most important scientific challenges […]
Tiny mosquito has huge impact on human settlement over thousands of years
Kampala: Despite its tiny size, the mosquito has shaped human history more than perhaps any other insect. Responsible for transmitting diseases that have affected millions of people, mosquitoes continue to command the attention of researchers around the world. For scientists working to combat malaria, understanding the mosquito remains one of the most important scientific challenges of our time.
The role of the mosquito in human development is the topic of an event that is happening this week in Uganda. Called Insect Week, it runs from 22 to 28 June and it is the platform where scientists will answer many of the questions that have originated from mosquito research.
While there are more than 3500 mosquito species globally, only a small number can transmit malaria. Among these, mosquitoes belonging to the Anopheles gambiae species complex are particularly effective vectors and are responsible for much of the malaria transmission in sub-Sahara Africa. The Anopheles gambiae complex is often referred to by scientists as one of the most efficient disease-transmitting insects on Earth because of its strong preference for feeding on humans and its ability to thrive near human settlements.
Rogers Atugonza, a field entomology officer of the Young Scientist Network for Target Malaria at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), said that what makes malaria mosquitoes so fascinating is their remarkable ability to adapt and survive.
