Revisited: Our deadliest enemy isn’t who you think - Mosquitoes
Bottom Line: With three people in Miami being diagnosed with Dengue Fever and fears of mosquito transmitted diseases on the rise once again – I saw lots of mosquito research being hashed out this weekend. This included info I shared with you just a month ago about our deadliest enemy. The blood sucking mosquitoes.
All of us are aware of how annoying mosquitoes can be. Most of us don’t appreciate how deadly they are and historically have been. Here are some eye-opening numbers to consider.
- 100 trillion – the number of mosquitoes world-wide
- 54 billion – the estimated number of humans killed by mosquitoes throughout history
- 700,000 – the number of people killed by mosquitoes annually
In other words, hearing that a mosquito is carrying a deadly virus sounds like a stretch until it isn’t. Yes, most of those deaths are in under-developed countries but yes, we have deaths in the US every year. Of course, in South Florida we have a disproportionate number of them and rain for breeding opportunity. That’s why we should take the recommendations to mind the store when it comes to mosquitoes seriously.It's altogether possible we’ve got another mass murderer lurking in the standing water around your home.
Imagine if over 700,000 murders were happening per year. How would we react? It’s worth taking the state’s warning seriously – while we hope that the newer mosquitoes control efforts prove to be effective.