There
are some perceptions ~ when one stands in a bus stand waiting for a particular
bus, one is inclined to believe that the other routes have more frequency and
well-served. In public places, when one
stands and is bitten by a mosquito, one feels that mosquitoes have a special
liking for ‘self’ leaving out others !!
There are some
names which are associated with bad things and ‘Aedes’ is perhaps one – derived
out of Greek aedes, meaning "unpleasant" or "odious". The
all important red coloured body fluid which supplies oxygen to tissues gets
affected by Aedes – coagulation, a complex process by which blood forms clots
gets affected. Aedes is a genus of mosquito originally found in tropical and
subtropical zones, but now found on all continents excluding Antarctica. The feared fever ‘dengue’ is linked to -
Aedes aegypti, a mosquito. The
mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies: the Culicidae. Although a
few species are harmless or even useful to humanity, most are considered a
nuisance because they consume blood from living vertebrates, including
humans. When half-asleep, a pierce to
one’s skin, leaving behind an itchy red welt and possibly even a serious
illness.
There
was a time when ‘mambalam mosquitoes’ were famous – now you have them in every
area - be it
– Triplicane, Mylapore, Medavakkam, Madipakkam, Parrys, Velachery – name any area – most popular myths have
been exploded – they are found on every floor of very tall structures too. All
mosquitoes must have open or stagnant
water to complete their life cycle. This water can range in quality from
melted snow water to sewage effluent and it can be in any container imaginable.
Now, Australian
researchers believe they are closer to discovering why mosquitoes bite some
people more than others. Researchers have discovered that it is female
mosquitoes that do the biting and different breeds have different tastes.
Another researcher has claimed that consuming beer or alcohol can make you more
attractive to some breeds of mosquitoes, reports Nine News. Mosquito expert Dr Cameron Webb said he
thinks his team have found a more scientific answer to what makes us more
enticing than others. 'We think it comes down to the carbon dioxide we breathe
out, but also the chemical cocktail they breathe out on our skin,' he said.
Avoiding mosquitoes
is a significant health concern, with almost 5000 Australians a year
contracting a mosquito-borne infectious disease known as Ross River Virus.
Mosquito experts urge people to make sure their garden is mosquito free by
draining the pot plants and plant dishes, as well as keeping a good repellent
on hand, with the optimum brand being
those which contains DEET, also known as diethyltoluamide. According to Australian researchers,
there are currently 300 types of
mosquitoes in Australia, and their numbers are set to rise as temperatures
increase over summer. "Laying a few hundred eggs a day while they're
breeding, population levels build quite quickly," pest controller is
quoted as saying.
There are already
plenty of urban myths on how to keep mosquitoes from biting, including eating
garlic, consuming high doses of Vitamin B, or avoiding too much sugar. While
there is currently no scientific evidence as to why some of us are more
attractive to mosquitoes than others, researchers do know it is female
mosquitoes that do the biting, and different breeds have different tastes.
Mosquito expert Dr Cameron Webb told 9NEWS some studies have shown consuming
beer or alcohol can make you more attractive to some types of mosquito, but not
all. Dr Webb said he believes his team has found a more scientific answer to
why some of us are a little more appealing to the tiny pests than others.
(source : www.9news.com.au/health)
Getting
back to Triplicane, those days the guppies fish
were dispensed in wells as they would eat larvae of mosquito and can
effectively control mosquito growth.
Guppies were found to be highly adaptable and thrive in many different
environmental and ecological conditions.
Though not native here, guppy fish have been introduced to many
different countries on every continent except Antarctica. Sometimes this has
occurred accidentally, but most often as a means of mosquito control. The mosquito
in Enthiran that would bite Aishwarya Rai ~ after which Robo Rajini would run,
find it in a slum, catch and present it – was named ‘Ranguski’ – perhaps the
nickname of my favourite writer Sujatha, whose story was filmed by Shankar.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
2nd Jan 2015.
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