Controlling the Vector

Mosquitoes are the vectors that transport protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. It is this parasite that induces malaria. In order to control the spread of malaria, the behavior of the vector that causes the disease must be understood.

Although there are 3,500 species of mosquito, only one species (and only females of that species) has the ability to spread malaria: the Anopheles mosquito. Only the females of this species feed on the blood of humans, and are therefore the main focus of concern.

All mosquitoes, no matter the species, require water in order to breed. Mosquitoes lay their eggs wherever there is standing water: a salt marsh, a lake, a puddle, a natural reservoir, or in something as simple as a bucket filled with water. The average female mosquito only lives for around 3 weeks and therefore the lifecycle of the mosquito is very rapid.

Most mosquitoes that transmit malaria pick up the parasite after feeding on an infected human. That is why swift isolation and treatment of an infected individual is important. Walking around as a carrier of the disease is actually potentially contributing to the spread of the problem.

There are several ideas on how to control the malaria epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. I believe that one of the best ways to get the problem under control would be to focus on the standing water sources of the region. Organic items such as garlic oil act as mosquito repellants. If large amounts of something like garlic oil were added to standing water sources, female mosquitoes would avoid laying their eggs and eventually die after the end of their 2-3 week life cycle. Organic materials such as garlic oil would not pose a threat to contaminating the land with toxicity or, as in the case of pesticides, contaminating humans. Treatments like this would be effective, and because the garlic oil loses potency after 4 weeks, would be a solution affordable enough to maintain until the issue had greatly subsided.

Controlling mosquitoes would not just help with the malaria crisis. Mosquitoes spread other problematic diseases such as West Nile Virus, dengue fever and yellow fever. Controlling these populations could drastically reduce the number of cases reported for many of these diseases each year, as well as help to save millions of lives.

For more information on vector control, you can visit www.cdc.gov