quote:

Anopheles mosquito

quote:

Personal Protection Against Mosquitoes

Protective measures adopted by individuals and families not only help in protecting the individuals against mosquito bites and hence malaria, but also help in reducing the mosquito population by denying the blood meal essential for nourishment of the mosquito eggs in the female anopheles mosquito.

Preventing the mosquitoes from entering the house: The female anopheles mosquitoes enter the house in the evenings, between 5PM and 10PM, and also early in the morning, between 5AM and 7AM. To prevent their entry, all the doors and windows should be kept closed during these hours. And it is also important to close the doors of the toilets, which always open to the exterior through windows or vents. Well-constructed houses with window screens are effective for preventing biting by mosquitoes that bite indoors and likely contributed much to the elimination of malaria from the United States and Europe.

Preventing the mosquitoes from hiding: Anopheles mosquitoes tend to hide in the dark corners and amidst the clothes and other linen left hanging in the rooms. During the night, they come out of their hiding to seek human blood. This should be avoided and all the clothes and linen should be preferably kept inside wardrobes and cupboards.

Protection from mosquito bites: Personal protection against mosquito bites is a simple yet very effective measure in malaria control. All patients with malaria should be educated about this. The female anopheles mosquito bites human beings from around 6 PM to 7AM with peak activity after midnight. Therefore, one should take protective measures throughout this period.

i. Protective Clothing: Protective clothing helps to keep the mosquitoes away when the individual is relaxing either indoors or outdoors, particularly between 6PM and 10 PM. The thickness of the material should be such that mosquitoes cannot gain access to the skin. The clothing should be such that no skin is left exposed (unless the clothing is treated with a repellent). Wearing light-colored clothes, long pants and long-sleeved shirts that cover as much area of his body as possible would be helpful. Treating the clothing with permethrin or etofenprox provides extra protection by repelling the mosquitoes and the repellant also stays active for a longer time when it is applied on the clothing than on the skin. Label instructions should be followed to avoid damage to certain fabrics.

ii. Mosquito Repellents.

quote:

The females of most mosquito species suck blood from other animals. Size varies but is rarely greater than 15 mm (0.6 inch). Mosquitoes weigh only about 2 to 2.5 mg (0.03 to 0.04 grain). They can fly at about 1.5 to 2.5 km/h (0.9 to 1.6 mph) and most species are nocturnal.