Which species of mosquito causes malaria and yellow fever in humans?
The female mosquito of the genus Anopheles spreads the parasite of the genus Plasmodium,which causes malaria. Malaria is a serious tropical infectious disease, for which there is no cure. It poses a threat to 200 to 300 million people worldwide. More than 1 million African babies and children die from the disease annually. The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits yellow fever, a serious infectious disease characterized by jaundice (which gives the patient yellowish skin). Yellow fever occurs in tropical regions of Africa, Central America, and South America. Although there is no cure, a vaccine does exist to guard against yellow fever. Ten percent of the people who contract yellow fever die from the disease. Sources: The Guinness Book of Records 1996, p. 22; Passarin d’Entreves, P. The…
