What's the Buzz? It's World Mosquito Day

For more than half the world's population, the familiar buzzz of a mosquito is not just an annoyance, it’s a warning that one of the most dangerous animals on the planet is nearby. The WHO estimates that mosquitoes kill more than 445,000 people a year through the transmission of malaria alone. Add to that the numbers of those sickened and killed by other mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, lymphatic filariasis, dengue fever, yellow fever and West Nile virus, and it’s easy to see how they earned their dangerous designation. The mosquito’s ability to spread disease was first established by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897, when he discovered the link between the bite of female mosquitoes and malaria transmission. This discovery laid the foundation for scientists across the world to better understand the role of mosquitoes in disease transmission. USAID is working to eliminate some of the most prevalent diseases spread around the world by mosquito bites, including: Did you know? Of the 3,500 known species of mosquitoes, only those from three generally transmit diseases to humans:Anopheles, Culex and Aedes. Photo of Anopheles gambiae mosquito: a malaria vector. Photo Credit: CDC/James Gathany Lymphatic filariasis impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability and social stigma. Through its neglected tropical diseasesprogram, the Agency has supported the delivery of more than 788 million lymphatic filariasis treatments across 25 countries. As a result, 253 million people now live in areas where treatment is no longer required for lymphatic filariasis. Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease that is prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical climates. The Agency supports malaria control and elimination programs in sub-Saharan Africa, the Greater Mekong subregion, and the Latin America and Caribbean region to strengthen country response efforts and scale-up key interventions. Between 2000 and 2015, a concerted global effort helped reduce malaria deaths by more than 60 percent, saved almost 7 million lives, and prevented more than 1 billion malaria cases. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, led by USAID and implemented with CDC, has been a key partner in this global effort. Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects such as microcephaly and a range of other developmental and neurological problems. The Agency is protecting people from Zika by controlling mosquitoes that spread the virus, increasing awareness of how the virus is transmitted and prevented and supporting health services for affected women and children. In 2016, the Agency launched Combating Zika and Future Threats: A Grand Challenge for Development to support the development, testing and scale up of ways to mitigate Zika and protect against future and infectious disease threats.

USAID in Action Stories from the Field Night Guard: Unfolding the protective effects of the mosquito net New technology keeps improving bednets to protect people from malaria. People, not statistics - Meet the heroes working to end NTDs in Northern Haiti Protecting vulnerable women and children from the devastating effects of Zika by improving service delivery and providing care and support to families affected by the virus.. In Zika's Wake: Strengthening the skills of health workers in Honduras Protecting vulnerable women and children from the devastating effects of Zika by improving service delivery and providing care and support to families affected by the virus. Events Stories from the Frontline: Fighting Zika: Join USAID & Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History on August 20th from 6:45–8:30 PM to hear experts on the frontlines tell their stories of innovative strategies, cross-border collaborations and cutting-edge research to fight the 2015–16 Zika pandemic. Register for free tickets!