Bloodsucking Insect-Borne Diseases:

know their true identity and the best

ways to prevent them.
You sit in a garden in your T-shirt and short, feeling the radiance of the sun and cool
breeze from different angles after a long day at work. A few moments later, you feel a
sharp piercing by an insect on your skin. The spot of the bite begins to itch and looks
reddish. In a couple of days, you start to develop symptoms of an ailment, and you visit
the hospital to make complaints.

Boom! You are diagnosed with an infection after some clinical examination by the
physician. You begin to think about the possibility of getting infected, few days after you
get bitten by an insect. You flashback to the painful and irritating experience when this
insect pierced your skin for blood. What about the most of your time you prioritize
taking prescribed drugs and attending to other treatment plans? Just because you want
to feel strong again and restart your rituals.

Then, your ultimate goal was to find the best approach to prevent yourself from the
future occurrence of this worrisome episode. Getting to know the real identity of these
insects should be your first step to success. What is the medical importance of these
insects?

This article will discuss; what these insects are, the disease they transmit, and the best
ways to prevent yourself from contracting them.
Insect-borne Diseases Defined
Insects that transmit diseases causing pathogens are called Vectors. Vectors do not
comprise only insects but also contain some other groups of arthropods. However, we
will focus on the biting insects only. These insects transmit diseases from human to
human, or from animals to human and vice versa. [1]

You get infected when these hematophagous (i.e., bloodsucking) insects, hosting a
pathogen, bite you for a blood meal. During the bloodmeal collection, the insect
introduces pathogens (organisms causing diseases) into your bloodstream. These
pathogens colonize your body by replicating rapidly and attack many cells and tissues.
[2] You feel weak and sick. However, these infectious diseases are called vector-borne.

I believe you now have a glimpse of Insect-borne disease. Nevertheless, this little is not
enough. You need to know the different types of pathogens and their disease burden
with risk factors associated with these diseases. And those insects that aid their
transmission, and how you can prevent yourself from contracting them.

Types of Pathogens
Over the years, there have been many types of pathogens described, but viruses,
bacteria, fungi, and parasites, will be discussed. These four types are the commonest
ones globally.
Viruses
Viruses are sub-microscopic infectious agents that exist as inactive spores outside many
organisms. On entering into a host organism, they replicate and can cause disease.
Viruses are known for their simple structure and readily infect a variety of living
organisms, including humans.[3]

Bacteria

Bacteria are single-celled microscopic organisms. Bacteria are ubiquitous, infecting

plants and animals, including humans. Bacteria reproduce asexually through binary
fission. Their basic shape is the criteria for classifying them. Bacteria are known for
their simple cell structure and a single loop of DNA for storing genetic information. [4]

Fungi

Fungi are either single-celled or multicellular eukaryotic organisms. They thrive in all
habitats. Moreso, fungi are grouped based on their lifecycle, structure of their fruiting
body, and the type and arrangement of their spores. They reproduce either sexually,
asexually, or both. Some fungi are pathogens of plants and animals, including humans.
Free-living ones aid nutrient cycling and are natural decomposers. [5]

Parasites

Parasites are tiny animals that live in or on a host and feed at the expense of the host's
expense. You call it ectoparasites when they live on the host. However, they are referred
to as endoparasites when they live inside the host. They cause parasitic infections by
multiplying and invading cells, tissues, organs, or organ systems. They are native to
tropical and subtropical regions but also thrive outside these regions. Parasite further
divides into three viz; protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasite. [6]

By now, you are conversant with pathogen types. But knowing the diseases caused by
these pathogens and the insects involved will equip you more in the quest to prevent
future occurrence of that unwanted experience.

Diseases Caused By Pathogens and Their

Associated Insects
Pathogens cause several diseases with differences in their severity. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), more than 70,000 people die from vector-borne
disease yearly. Furthermore, over 17% of all infectious diseases are vector-borne.[1] Do
not joke with an agent that causes this number of deaths annually. Here are some
examples:

Viruses

These infectious agents can cause many viral infections transmitted by bloodsucking
insects. Some include:

● Chikungunya transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes

● Dengue fever transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
● Rift valley fever transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
● Yellow fever transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
● Zika transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
 ● Japanese encephalitis by Culex mosquitoes
● West Nile fever by Culex mosquitoes
● Sandfly fever by Sandflies

Bacteria

Examples of bacterial infections transmitted by bloodsucking insects are:

● Plague transmitted by Fleas

● Typhus transmitted by Lice
● Louse-borne relapsing fever transmitted by Lice

Parasites
Examples of parasitic infections transmitted by bloodsucking insects include:

● Chagas disease transmitted by Triatomine bugs

● Lymphatic filariasis transmitted by Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes
● Malaria transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes
● Tungiasis transmitted by Fleas
● Leishmaniasis transmitted by Sandflies
● Onchocerciasis transmitted by Blackflies
● African trypanosomiasis transmitted by Tsetse flies
How can insect-borne diseases be prevented?
Now you have ideas about diseases caused by pathogens and are fully aware that the
insects transmitting them are everywhere. Thus, giving you an insight into the risk of
contracting any of these diseases anytime soon. Worry less! Here are some prevention
tips: that will help you:

1. Take prescribed vaccines for endemic vector-borne diseases in your area.

2. Wear insect-repellent clothes to scare away insects.
3. Practice proper environmental sanitation to prevent potential breeding sites for
these insects.
4. Get information about health-related risks before travelling to a place.
5. Ensure your windows are properly screened with a net to bar away insects.
6. Discard your household wastes and containers properly because they can serve as
breeding sites for many insects.
7. Use insecticides to kill insects that escape into your apartment.

Takeaway
Insect-borne diseases caused by pathogens can make you weak and sick. Your body
should not harbour these pathogens and the illnesses they cause. Defend yourself from
contracting these diseases by following the prevention tips. Moreso, there are many
treatment plans for these diseases. When you feel sick, visit the physician for diagnosis
and treatment.
Work Cited

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases

[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-pathogen

[3] https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/virus-308/

[4]https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/what-is-microbiology/bact
eria.html

[5]https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/characteristics-of-fungi
/

[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/parasitic-infections