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Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus - Paper

Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus

Only the female mosquito is responsible for the transmission of diseases like the West Nile virus because males consume sugary juices and nectars for sustenance. However, the females require proteins present in animal blood in order to nourish their eggs. These eggs are laid in still water and take anywhere between several days to over a month to emerge as fully grown adult mosquitoes. The total life span of the insect is only up to a few months, but during the course of its life it can potentially infect humans and animals with viruses it carries from host to host. The main species of mosquito that carries the West Nile virus is the culex pipiens (Kluger).
The physiology of the female ...

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The insects are also attracted to body heat.
The main cutting tools that pierce the skin are called stylets, which are sheathed by the labium. The labium itself is shrouded until the insect is ready to bite. Once the skin is pierced, the mosquito injects its own saliva through its hypopharynx. The saliva is mixed with an anticoagulant that helps the blood flow easily from host to insect. Finally, the mosquito takes up to five minutes to complete sucking the blood from the host. Blood is drawn slowly through the skinny labrum.
When a mosquito bites an infected animal, the insect's saliva becomes contaminated with the virus. When the mosquito strikes its next target, the disease can then be easily transmitted. Birds happen to be prime carriers of the West Nile virus, and are also frequently bitten by mosquitoes. The West Nile virus has a 3 to 14 day incubation period (Kluger). Although the West Nile virus can be serious, only 1% of mosquitoes in an infected area will be ...

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Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus. (2016, January 11). Retrieved May 9, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mosquitoes-and-the-West-Nile-Virus/105355

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"Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus." Essayworld.com. January 11, 2016. Accessed May 9, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mosquitoes-and-the-West-Nile-Virus/105355.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 1/11/2016 05:12:31 AM
Category: Science & Nature
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 387
Pages: 2

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