Knowing the Anopheles mosquito that causes malaria

Malaria is an infectious disease that you should not underestimate. This disease caused by mosquito bites can be fatal if not treated properly. Well, did you know that the mosquito that causes malaria is not the same as an ordinary mosquito? What are the characteristics of the malaria mosquito? Then, how are the parasites that cause malaria transmitted from mosquito bites? Check out the full review below.

The characteristics of the malaria mosquito you need to know

Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease transmitted through mosquito bites. However, only certain types of mosquitoes can carry parasites and transmit this disease to humans, namely mosquitoes Anopheles.

Mosquito Anopheles have been found in various parts of the world, especially tropical countries. According to the CDC website, there are as many as 430 species of mosquitoes Anopheles, only 30-40 can transmit malaria.

It is important to know that mosquitoes Anopheles males cannot transmit disease to humans. So, only mosquito bites Anopheles females who can cause malaria.

Here are the characteristics of mosquitoesAnophelescauses of malaria:

1. Color and shape of the mosquito Anopheles

Like most mosquitoes, Anopheles has a long body shape and is divided into 3 parts, namely the head, chest (thorax), and stomach. When perching on human skin, the position of the mosquito Anopheles usually tilted about 45 degrees, in contrast to most mosquitoes. MosquitoAnophelesalso usually yellowish in color.

2. Time to bite

Mosquito Anopheles usually enter the house between 5 pm and 9:30 pm, as well as in the morning. The time to bite starts from dusk, and the most active period for mosquitoes Anopheles biting into a human is between midnight and early morning.

3. Breeding grounds for mosquitoes Anopheles

Mosquito Anopheles the cause of malaria likes clean water that has not been exposed to pollution. Therefore, this mosquito breeding is mostly found in open water with vegetation or plants, such as rice fields, swamps, mangrove forests, rivers, and stagnant residual rainwater.

When you see a pool of water with a mosquito larva floating in a horizontal position or following the surface of the water, you can expect it to be a mosquito larva. Anopheles.

Difference between mosquitoes that cause malaria and dengue fever (DHF)

We are certainly familiar with other infectious diseases caused by mosquito bites, namely dengue fever or dengue fever. So, are the mosquitoes that transmit malaria and dengue the same mosquito?

The answer is no. Both diseases occur due to bites of two different types of mosquitoes. If malaria is transmitted through mosquito bites Anopheles, the virus that causes dengue is carried by mosquitoes Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus.

The two types of mosquitoes have different physical appearances and are easy for you to identify. If a mosquito Anopheles the cause of malaria has a yellowish body, mosquitoes Aedes The cause of DHF has a black body and white stripes.

Mosquito larvae and eggs Aedes aegypti also more commonly found in man-made water reservoirs, such as bathtubs or jugs. Meanwhile, mosquitoes Anopheles breed more often in natural open water.

The parasite that causes malaria is carried by mosquitoes Anopheles

After knowing the characteristics of mosquitoes AnophelesYou also need to know which parasites cause malaria. Yes, malaria can be caused by various parasites that mosquitoes can carry Anopheles.

Here's the explanation:

1. Plasmodium falciparum

Infection by parasites P. falciparum is the most dangerous malaria. It is estimated that nearly 98% of cases of malaria are caused by infection with this type of parasite.

If infection P. falciparum not immediately treated with good malaria treatment within 24 hours, it is likely that the sufferer can experience more severe complications, even the potential for damage to certain body organs.

2. Plasmodium vivax

Infection P. vivax considered more difficult to treat when compared to infection P. falciparum. This is due to differences in the characteristics of the parasites.

P. vivax has hypnozoite properties, which is a condition in which parasites can "fall asleep" for several weeks or months after the patient is infected. Therefore, most sufferers do not show any symptoms at all, making the disease more difficult to diagnose.

3. Plasmodium ovale

Types of infections caused by parasites P. ovale shows symptoms that tend to be mild when compared to parasites Plasmodium other. This condition also rarely results in complications or death.

4. Plasmodium malariae

Similar to infection P. ovale, a type parasite P. malariae classified in the mild type of malaria. However, in rare cases, this condition can also be fatal as occurs with infection P. falciparum and P. vivax.

5. Plasmodium knowlesi

Parasite P. knowlesi known as the fifth cause of malaria. This parasite has a form that is quite difficult to distinguish from P. malariae when viewed under a microscope. Other than that, P. knowlesi requires the shortest development time when compared to Plasmodium other types.

How are the parasites that cause malaria transmitted through mosquitoes?

As mentioned earlier, only mosquitoes Anopheles female who can transmit malaria to humans. The mosquito must also be infected with parasites from the blood it had previously sucked.

When the mosquito Anopheles suck blood from sufferers of malaria, parasites Plasmodium will be carried away by the mosquito. About 1 week later, when the mosquito sucks blood from another human, the parasite will mix with the mosquito's saliva and enter the body of the human being bitten.

After that, malaria symptoms usually appear 10 days or 4 weeks after the first time a person is bitten by a mosquito Anopheles.

The malaria parasite is also found in human red blood cells. That is why, apart from mosquitoes, this disease can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or the use of needles contaminated with the blood of malaria sufferers.

Risk factors for malaria

Anyone can catch malaria. However, there are some people who are more at risk for this disease. People usually catch malaria when they live or travel to places with high malaria cases.

The country with high malaria cases is South Africa. In Indonesia alone, malaria is still found in the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

The following are factors that increase a person's risk of contracting malaria:

• Live in or travel to countries with a high incidence of malaria
• Having a poor immune system, such as children, pregnant women, or people with autoimmune diseases
• Live in remote areas with minimal health facilities

Can malaria be transmitted between people?

Malaria can only be transmitted from mosquito bites or exposure to blood contaminated with parasites. This disease is not a disease that can spread from one person to another, such as the flu or cold. So, you will not get malaria just by making physical contact with sufferers.

The only mode of transmission between humans is through childbirth. Pregnant women infected with parasites Plasmodium can pass the disease to the baby before or after delivery. This condition is called congenital malaria.

If you already understand the characteristics of mosquitoes Anopheles the cause of malaria, you also need to understand how to prevent its bites. Some steps you can take to prevent malaria are:

• Wear closed clothes, especially in the afternoon and evening
• Put on a mosquito repellent lotion
• Get a malaria preventative medicine if you are going to an area with high malaria cases
• Maintain the immune system by eating healthy foods and consuming adequate vitamins