The Effect of Mosquitoes on Man
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to know the effect of mosquitoes on man. It is believed that in Africa as a whole and in Nigeria in particular, the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes to their host man contribute immensely to about two-thirds (2/3) of the total deaths recorded annually. So, it is worthwhile to take the proper study of these adverse effects and hence know the panacea to curb the problems by reducing the breeding rate of these vectors (INSECTS). Also, the study aims to create awareness of the effects of mosquitoes on man.
Therefore, this research will help us to study properly of our environment and know what causes the high breeding rate of these insects (particularly mosquitoes) and their control or preventive measures.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of the Culicidae, from the Latin word culex, meaning “midge” or “gnat”. The word mosquito is from the Spanish or Portuguese for “little fly” (Ralph, 2008). They are small, two winged insects belonging to Culicidae family and order Diptera (two winged flies) (Muesebeck, 1952; Goma, 1966). Nearly three quarters of all mosquito species are found in the humid tropics and subtropics (Miyagi et al., 1992).
Mosquitoes are among the best known groups of insects, because of their medical importance to man as pests and vectors of some of the most deadly human diseases. There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes described from various parts of the world. The three subfamilies recognised among the Culicidae family are: the Toxorhynchitinae, Anophelinae and Culicinae. Subfamily Toxorhynchitinae comprises a single genus, Toxorhynchites, which is not of importance medically. There are 3 genera in subfamily Anophelinae, but only Anopheles is of medical importance. There about 60 species of Anopheles mosquitoes known to be vectors of malaria. Members of subfamily Culicinae that are of medical importance include; Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Haemagogus and Sabethes. There are over 2500 species of Culicinae of which the main genera are Aedes with more than 900 species. Aedes is best known vectors of yellow fever and dengue fever but some Aedes species double as vectors of some filariasis and viral disease (Leisnham, 2010).
Anopheles gambiae
Anopheles gambiae senso stricto is the primary mosquito vector responsible for the transmission of malaria in most of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a member of a species complex that includes at least seven morphologically indistinguishable species in the Series Pyretophorus in the Anopheles subgenus Cellia. Anopheles gambiae feeds preferentially on humans and is one of the most efficient malaria vectors known. Anopheles gambiae senso stricto is now known to consist of two genetically distinct forms or incipient species, known formally as the A. gambiae M and A. gambiae S forms. Colonies of these two forms have also been sequenced, assembled and provided here on VectorBase as the A. gambiae Mali-NIH (M) and A. gambiae Pimperena (S) genomes.
An. gambiae larvae are generally considered to typically inhabit sunlit, shallow, temporary bodies of fresh water such as ground depressions, puddles, pools and hoof prints . This characteristic may allow predator avoidance as the larvae are able to develop very quickly (~six days from egg to adult under optimal conditions), possibly in response to the ephemeral nature of such larval habitats. An. gambiae larval habitats are therefore often described as containing no (or very sparse) vegetation due to their temporary nature but the great diversity of habitats utilised by An. gambiae includes vegetated (e.g. rice fields) sites. An. gambiae larvae have been reported from habitats containing floating and submerged algae, emergent grass, rice, or ‘short plants’ and from sites devoid of any vegetation, The variability of larval habitats can be related to the known forms of An. gambiae (e.g. M and S, or Forest, Bamako, Savanna, Mopti and Bissau). For example, the Mopti and M forms are associated with semi-permanent, often man-made, larval habitats such as rice fields or flooded areas, whereas the Savanna/Bamako and S forms are seen more commonly in temporary, rain-dependent sites such as ground puddles.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out to assess the effect of mosquito on man.
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Prince Udoyen: 2019). In this study the study population constitute of residents Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
A total of 800 consenting residents participated in this study. Four hundred and thirty (54.5%) of the respondent were aged 21-26 years. Five hundred and twenty-two (65.2%) of the respondents were female (Table 1).
More than half of the respondents (66%, n=528) agreed that malaria is common in the tropical region. Almost all (95.5%, n=764) of the respondent stated that mosquito breeds more during rainy season. Less than one-tenth of the respondents (5.4%, n=43) reported that Plasmodium falciparum is the most common species that causes malaria. Less than one-fifth (12.4%, n=199) of the respondents understood the meaning of malaria prophylaxis (Table 2).
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
The study results revealed that residents within Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State had an appreciable knowledge on prevention and management of malaria which was however, not translated into practice.
This study has shown that there were gaps in knowledge of malaria etiology, laboratory detection and prophylaxis. This could be due to the fact that majority of the respondents either have such knowledge gap because they do not have a science-based background or have not given much thoughts to issue of malaria infection, especially as their course curricula do not cover the field. However, this knowledge gaps are worrisome among this educated sample as it gives an idea of bigger knowledge gaps among the general population of ‘not-soeducated’ Nigerians. Illiterate people and those with low levels of education might be unable to understand written health education materials, such as posters and flyers.
Recommendation
A general lack of health information and awareness among poor and marginalized groups can greatly reduce the demand for healthcare services. A good way to win the battle against malaria would be to improve economic levels of populations living in developing countries such as the one where this study took place. This therefore demands that effort should be geared towards intensification of malaria public enlightenment programs and promotion of affordable treatment. The use of mass media for disseminating information on prevention, causes and management of malaria among the respondents should be encouraged.
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