New Delhi:
If asked what is the greatest danger faced by humanity- you will probably say earthquakes, typhoons, asteroids or even mad dictators. If you had to choose humanity's greatest predator, you would probably go for lions, snakes, sharks or even other humans. However, it seems the greatest killer of humanity is- the mosquito.
Author Timothy Winegard in his new book, The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, says that the mosquito — and the diseases it carries — has been the biggest danger for humans for centuries.
The mosquito has killed more human beings than any other animal—nearly half of all human beings that have ever lived, according to Winegard. It means mosquito have killed as many as 50 billion people over the course of human existence.
The book claims that mosquitoes are responsible for more than 20 lakh human deaths a year thanks to diseases spread by their bite. It means mosquitoes are not only the deadliest animal but the leading cause of human deaths.
The mosquito first appeared 190 million years ago, followed not long after by the parasite that causes malaria. Together, they formed one of the deadliest marriages on earth.
Apart from Malaria, mosquitoes transmit 14 other diseases through its bite. Male mosquitoes do not bite; their sole purpose is to procreate. A female produces multiple batches of eggs and to feed her progeny, she needs food. Which in this case means human and animal blood.
