Small Bite, Big Threat Andi Tiara S. Adam, Andi Asyura Alikha, Muhammad Arham Harun, Syauqi Darussalam Lutfi Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
Short Description
Climate change projections show that both temperature and precipitation levels will increase and accelerate in the future over all of Southeast Asia. This process started in the 1980s, and has been increasing each year with ideal conditions for world ' s deadliest mosquito-borne diseases such as the Zika virus, dengue fever, and malaria. Even slightest changes in climate can increase disease transmission. Research suggests that climate change directly affects mosquito-borne diseases by altering the immature mosquito development process, virus development and mosquito biting rates.
As an effect, transmission rates have increased since the 1980s. Nowadays, approximately 3.8 billion people are exposed to mosquitoes, with Indonesia as the ultimate hot spot for mosquito-borne diseases. These diseases affect around 700 people, and even causing 1 million deaths each year. It could be disastrous for Southeast Asia, a home to more than 25 percent of global population, and this puts all their lives in jeopardy. Although transmission is common in tropical regions, with warmer climate, mosquito vectors and mosquito borne-diseases would increase in North America and Europe.
The best way to avoid mosquito-borne diseases is preventing mosquito bites and development process, for example by applying mosquito repellent, and cover or clean potential mosquito breeding sites. But now with our constantly changing climate, we must remember that climate change would lead to serious consequences, which makes combating climate change most essential in fighting mosquitoborne diseases. Therefore by replacing regular light bulbs to low-energy LED bulbs, replacing outside lights with specially designed low-energy“ anti-bug” lights, and planting natural mosquito-repellent plants on your front porch will not only stop mosquitoes from entering your home, they also can combat climate change as well. It is best to start prevention from now, because one small bite is all it takes to cause big threats against human health.
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