While the emergence of colorful butterflies is a welcome sign of summer, the constant buzzing of mosquitoes is an annoying part of the season. Mosquitoes are more than just pests. They are the world's most dangerous animal.
Their presence signals the start of the malaria season in southern Africa. It is for this reason that the Southern African Development Community recognizes the first week of November as SADC Malaria Week, with 6 November as SADC Malaria Day. During this week the dangers of malaria are highlighted.
As South Africa edges closer towards malaria elimination , this has become more important as many South Africans are unaware of the malaria risk within the country's borders. Know your enemy Malaria is usually spread through a bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. In rare cases, malaria can spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants or sharing contaminated needles.
There is also the possibility that mothers can pass on the disease to their babies while pregnant or during delivery. Mosquitoes that spread malaria are usually only active between dusk and dawn . Some mosquitoes, particularly the large black and white Aedes mosquitoes , are active during the day.
These mosquitoes spread diseases like yellow fever and Zika. Although malaria-spreading mosquitoes are active at night, they are not the mosquitoes that make the annoying buzzing sound that prevents you from getting a peaceful night's sleep. Instead, malaria mosquitoes are near-silent, ofte.
