When you are disturbed by the lingering "buzzing" sound in the early morning of summer, when you end up chatting hastily in the shade of the trees at dusk because of the increasing itching, you will probably be curious about these mosquitoes that you can't get rid of. This article will take you into the world of one of the more common mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus.
PART.01
Morphological characteristics
Aedes albopictus is an insect of the genus Aedes mosquito family, commonly known as "flower mosquito", also known as "Asian tiger mosquito", which originated in Southeast Asia and has now spread to tropical, subtropical and temperate regions around the world. Aedes albopictus is medium-sized, with black-and-white or black-and-silver markings being its classic feature. On the mainland, Aedes albopictus is one of the main vectors of dengue fever.
PART.02
Life history and habitat habits
The life cycle of Aedes albopictus includes four stages: egg, larva, pupal and adult. Eggs, larvae and pupae all grow and develop in the water, and the adults leave the water to live, which is what we usually see as mosquitoes.
Male Aedes albopictus mosquitoes do not suck blood and usually feed on plant sap and nectar to maintain nutrition. The female mosquito of Aedes albopictus mainly feeds on the blood of humans or animals to obtain the nutrients necessary for egg spawning, and can suck blood several times in a reproductive nutrition cycle to ensure ovarian development. Aedes albopictus females bite and suck their blood throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors. The peak of activity usually occurs 1-2 hours before sunrise in the morning and 2-3 hours before sunset in the evening, and the activity of biting and sucking blood is more frequent before sunset than before sunrise.
Aedes albopictus mainly lays eggs during the day, and both light and temperature have an impact on egg laying. Some studies have found that June to September is the peak period for the spawning of Aedes albopictus, with a temperature between 25-30 degrees, the strongest reproductive ability, and the most eggs. After sucking blood, female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes will seek dark, damp, sheltered places to roothe.
PART.03
Health hazards
The "Asian tiger mosquito" is not in vain, the female Aedes albopictus mosquito is very ferocious, the skin is itchy after the bite, the bite will appear red, swollen, dermatitis, and it is easy to ulcerate and infect after scratching. Daily bites are considered a relatively minor nuisance, and more seriously, Aedes albopictus is an important vector for dengue fever.
The typical symptoms of dengue fever are "high fever, three pains, three reds" + rash.
High fever: Sudden high fever (above 40°C)
Three pains: severe headache, orbital pain, musculoskeletal joint pain
Three reds: face red, neck red, chest red
Rash: Congestive or punctate hemorrhagic rash on the limbs, trunk, head and face
On the mainland, dengue fever is mainly transmitted by the route of "patients→ Aedes albopictus → others", and the population is generally susceptible. After a dengue fever patient or a person with a latent infection is bitten by Aedes albopictus, the virus multiplies in the body of Aedes albopictus for a period of time and is transmitted to others through the bite.
If you suspect that you are infected with dengue fever, seek medical attention promptly, and actively diagnose and treat it. At the same time, you should isolate as recommended by your doctor to avoid spreading the disease to others. Of course, there is no need to panic too much, after timely and standardized treatment, you can basically recover, but there are a few cases of death in severe cases, which should not be taken lightly. The key to preventing dengue fever is to avoid being bitten by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes as much as possible. Try to wear long sleeves and pants when going out, and use mosquito repellent in moderation in areas with higher risk. Keeping your home clean and hygienic can also help reduce mosquito breeding.
PART.04
Precautionary measures
1. Transform the breeding environment and do a good job of physical isolation
Outdoors, measures such as filling pits in flat depressions, dredging sewers, sewage pools and sewage wells and covering, cleaning up stagnant water in discarded tires in a timely manner, and placing discarded tanks upside down are used to transform the breeding environment of Aedes albopictus and reduce the chance of contact between humans and Aedes albopictus. When going outdoors in places where there are many mosquitoes, it is recommended to wear light-colored long-sleeved pants for protection.
Take out the garbage indoors on weekdays, try to keep it hygienic and tidy, and at the same time frequently clean up the waterlogged plates, flower pots and trays, and cover all kinds of water storage containers to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. Check the floor drain in the bathroom and the kitchen drain every week to remove stagnant water, and check whether there is standing water around the living environment in time after rain. Installing screen doors, window screens and mosquito nets in active areas can be safe and effective in preventing most outdoor Aedes albopictus bites. For Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that have entered the room, tools such as electric mosquito swatters can be used to effectively kill or repel them.
2. Use mosquito repellent products scientifically to prevent potential risks
Mosquito repellent is usually used indoors, such as mosquito coils, electric mosquito coils, aerosols and other products. It is not recommended to use two or more chemical repellents at the same time. When repellent mosquitoes, we must pay attention to the use of the environment and safety, try to avoid combustibles, and unplug the power plug in time when people are not there. Parents should pay special attention to the potential health hazards of chemical pesticides to infants and young children, especially the serious risk of accidental ingestion, and seek medical attention in case of accidental ingestion.
3. With the help of the food chain, fish to control mosquitoes
Aedes albopictus can be controlled by using the natural food chain, such as stocking wicker fish and ornamental fish in ditches, pools and rivers, and stocking carp and tilapia in rice paddies to kill Aedes albopictus before the adult mosquitoes.
Source: "China Center for Disease Control and Prevention" WeChat public account