Research by the CDC shows that 50% of the world’s population lives in areas at the risk of malaria transmission. Malaria is transmitted through mosquito bites. According to WHO, the disease kills more than 400,000 people in a year and most of these are young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

One of the main reasons for such deaths is ignorance caused by myths surrounding mosquitoes and malaria

Myth 1: Mosquitoes don’t bite during the day

The Culex mosquito, which spreads the West Nile virus, the anopheles that transmits malaria and lymphatic filariasis responsible for the swelling of arms, legs, and genitals all bite during the night. Aedes mosquito, which spreads viruses like Zika and rift valley fever, mostly bite during the day.

Controlling the disease has become difficult because of the mosquitoes nets, which have, for a long time, been used to prevent the disease, are not very useful.

Myth 2: The Risk is the same for everyone

Infants are more prone to malaria due to their underdeveloped immune systems. The disease seems to overpower children who are less than five years because they’ve not developed active resistance.

Evidence also shows that pregnant women are likely to be bitten by mosquitoes due to the increased carbon dioxide emissions and body temperature. Research in the Gambia showed that expectant mothers were twice as likely to get the disease than other people.

Myth 3: Air-conditioned rooms are safer

It is true if you spend more time indoors with shut doors and windows lowers the risk of a mosquito bite. However, there are notorious ones like Aedes Aegypti, which carries dengue and Zika. These can survive in cranny homes, yards, nooks, and such places. That is why experts recommend that you keep mosquito nets even in air-conditioned rooms.

Myth 4: Once infected, you become immune

Statistics have shown that those who have grown up in malaria-endemic areas are more hardy and resistant to malaria, but that’s not a license to expose yourself, you need to keep protected. If you in an area that is free from the disease makes you more susceptible, and you could be reinfected.

Myth 5: The best solution to malaria is mosquito extinction

Treating malaria has become one of the costly things for most economies of the world, and this has led to experts suggesting that mosquitoes should be eradicated. That has led to the invention of a gene drive technology, which alters males’ genetic code so that they only produce sterile offspring. Such males are released to mate with unsuspecting females in the wild, which brings forth a barren generation.

However, there are ethical objections to that school of thought on wiping out an entire species. Again, that strategy may not quickly work because you have to produce enough sterile males to be effective.

Only 200 out of 3000 mosquito varieties are harmful to man, and therefore it makes no sense why you should wipe an entire species just because of a few.

With so many myths surrounding mosquitoes and malaria, the only option that remains viable is to look for the most effective way to protect your family from the harmful mosquito bites. Try VC coating from Vectorcide International Ltd, a paint-like coating applied in your home, and can last for 12 months. It’s an effective mosquitoes killer and non-toxic.