But, you might ask, why is there a mosquito day? It is actually in memory of British physician Sir Ronald Ross, Nobel Prize winner. On August 20, 1897, the English bacteriologist and physician discovered that female mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of the infectious disease malaria between humans. After his discovery, Ross himself declared World Mosquito Day. And since then, every August 20th until World Mosquito Day, the world remembers his contribution and raises awareness about mosquito-borne diseases.
Let’s celebrate World Mosquito Day
Ronald Ross, born in Almora, India, began researching malaria in 1892, aged 35. His main goal was to find ways to prevent the spread of tropical disease with flu-like symptoms. To do so, he first needed to confirm his hypothesis that the disease is transmitted between people through mosquitoes.
After about five years, he managed to make a connection: he identified the Anopheles mosquito as the transmitter of malaria. In addition, the Nobel Prize winner made many other discoveries about the epidemiology and other forms of protection against the transmission of malaria.
Preventable deaths
Its discovery in 1897 laid the groundwork for understanding the deadly role mosquitoes play in the spread of malaria and other diseases. In recent years, globalization, accelerated urbanization, as well as climate change are significantly influencing the spread of insects such as mosquitoes that can transmit diseases.
Worldwide, 1 billion cases are reported each year and more than 1 million people have died from insect-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika. For many of these diseases there is no vaccine available, so prevention is the best protection measure.
That’s why World Mosquito Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness about the danger of mosquito-borne diseases. Declare your life mosquito-free with our effective solutions to help protect you and your family from insects indoors and out.