Though most of us consider mosquitos a mere annoyance, they’re associated with a long list of devastating diseases. Malaria, Zika Virus, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, and West Nile Virus are just some of the better-known ways they’ve marred mankind. Combined, these mosquito-borne diseases result in “millions of deaths” per year, according to the World Health Organization.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Even more menacing, Vox put it this way in an interview with Timothy C. Winegard, author of the book The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator: “Over the course of 200,000 years, 108 billion people have lived on Earth. And nearly half, 52 billion, have been killed by mosquitoes.” So why don’t we just get rid of them completely? Well, before we villainize all 3,500 types of the world’s mosquitoes, it’s worth noting that only a small fraction actually accounts for all of that destruction. As Winegard points out, just 200 mosquito types bite; of that group, only a handful transmit diseases. According to many researchers, eradicating all types of mosquitoes would mean that thousands of plant species would lose key pollinators, causing untold ecological consequences. Yet others argue that there’s a moral imperative for doing it anyway, or at least waging war on the aegypti mosquito, which is the most dangerous species. It would prevent countless deaths, improve quality of life, increase the GDPs of economically vulnerable nations, and alleviate overburdened hospitals in countries suffering most from mosquito-borne illnesses. Regardless, the first step is recognizing the mayhem mosquitoes cause. The next time you think of the most dangerous animals in the world, forget the big cats, snakes, and crocodiles that only seem like the biggest threats. Mosquitoes are a far greater foe. And for more on mosquitoes, check out Can Mosquitoes Spread Coronavirus? The New Research You Need to Know About
