Question

Name two diseases whose spread can be controlled by the eradication of Aedes mosquitoes.

Answer 1

A disease can be transmitted from one person to the other with the help of vectors. Mosquitoes are important vectors that transmit various infectious pathogens and parasites that cause diseases like malaria or Zika. Specific species of mosquitoes transmit specific diseases. For example, the female Anopheles mosquito transmits malaria. Transmission of certain diseases can be controlled by targeting the eradication of their vectors.

Complete answer:
The Aedes mosquito transmits Dengue and Chikungunya. Dengue is caused by the virus of the Flaviviridae family and Chikungunya is caused by the virus of the Alphavirus genus. These causative agents are commonly spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on the blood of infected individuals. The infected mosquitoes spread the virus when they bite healthy individuals. These bite during day and night.
The lifespan of an adult Aedes aegypti mosquito is approximately two weeks to a month depending on the environmental conditions. It flies relatively short distances in its lifetime and is responsible for the spreading of yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.
Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, eliminating such areas can be an effective and permanent way to reduce mosquito populations. Other methods of eradication are the use of pesticides, habitat modification, trapping, and the use of biological control agents. Braille was reported by the Pan American Health Organization to be one of the first countries to eradicate Aedes aegypti.

Note: Common symptoms of dengue are a fever with nausea, vomiting, rash, and pain in joints whereas symptoms of chikungunya include muscle pain and joint swelling along with the former symptoms. Treatment of these diseases includes taking plenty of rest and fluids and having the prescribed medication.