Not every mosquito spreads the same disease. From dengue and chikungunya to malaria and Japanese encephalitis, here is a guide to India's major disease-carrying mosquitoes, when they bite and how to protect yourself

That mosquito buzzing around your home may look like every other mosquito, but medically, they are not all the same. Different mosquito species can transmit different viruses, parasites and other pathogens, and knowing the difference is particularly important in India, where several mosquito-borne diseases circulate. Observed every year on August 20,

World Mosquito Day commemorates Sir Ronald Ross, the British physician who demonstrated in 1897 that mosquitoes transmit malaria. His discovery transformed our understanding of malaria and helped establish mosquitoes as important disease vectors.

There are more than 3,500 recognised mosquito species worldwide, but only a fraction can transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans. In India, three mosquito groups are particularly important from a public-health perspective: Aedes, Anopheles and Culex. They differ not only in the diseases they can transmit but also in their preferred breeding environments and biting patterns.

Aedes Mosquitoes: Dengue, Chikungunya And More

When it comes to mosquito-borne diseases in India's cities, Aedes aegypti is one of the most important species to know. It is a major vector of dengue and also transmits chikungunya. Aedes mosquitoes can also transmit diseases such as yellow fever and Zika in parts of the world where these infections circulate.

One reason Aedes mosquitoes are difficult to control is their ability to thrive around human settlements. They can lay eggs in small collections of stagnant water, including containers, discarded tyres, flowerpots, coolers and other water-holding objects.

And unlike mosquitoes that are predominantly active at night, Aedes mosquitoes are primarily daytime biters. Their biting activity commonly increases during the early morning and around the hours before sunset. That means mosquito protection should not be limited to bedtime.

Dengue is a particularly significant global health concern. The World Health Organization estimates that 100-400 million dengue infections occur every year, although many infections are mild or asymptomatic.

Source: ndtv