MOSQUITO (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) AS A BIOINDICATOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND DISEASE OUTBREAK

Abstract

Quality of public health is

greatly influenced by a lot of environmental factors, especially biotic

factors among wich is a group of hematophagus mosquitoes (Diptera:

Culicidae) showing high competence as disease vector(s). The vector

mosquitoes belong to different species of different genera: *Anopheles,

Aedes, Culex*, and *Mansonia.*In hypersensitive individuals, mosquito bites

may induce pain and itching on the skin where the mosquito suck blood,

allergic dermatitis leads up to dermatosis, even persistently, causing

nuisance. Through the mosquito bites, man may risk to being infected with

pathogens causing Malaria, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF), Chikungunya,

Japanese Encephalitis (JE), and Lymphatic filariasis, specifically in areas

where the mosquito-borne disease (MBD) is (are) endemic. Survival of a

mosquito vector species of disease vector is much dependent on its

environment, mainly on the availability of a number of suitable habitats

for its pre-adult stages, larvae and pupae. Number, type and size of the

larval habitats as well as quality of water in the mosquito breeding places

apparently determine rates of survival and density of the mosquito breeding

in it which generally positively correlate with the increase of the MBD

transmission. Therefore, mosquito mainly a disease vector could be used as

one of the bioindicators of environment health and its significant increase

in density is predictive of the probable occurrence of a MBD epidemic in a

communityliving in an endemic area.