Question

Which type of mosquito acts as a carrier of the Zika virus to spread infection in humans?
1. Culex pipiens
2. Aedes aegypti
3. Anopheles Meigen
4. Zika virus does not spread through mosquitoes

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Aedes aegypti

The correct answer is Aedes aegypti.

• Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. 
• Zika Virus
  • Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys.
  • It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific.
  • Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes and can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus.
  • Sexual transmission of the Zika virus is also possible.
  • There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. Instead, the focus is on relieving symptoms and includes rest, rehydration, and acetaminophen for fever and pain.

• Dengue
  • Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes.
  • Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle, and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles.
  • Dengvaxia is the first dengue vaccine but the Indian drug controller has yet to approve it.
  • India has reported 6,210 cases and six deaths from dengue until June 9, 2019.
• Chikungunya
  • Chikungunya is caused by a mosquito-borne virus.
  • It is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
  • Its symptoms are characterized by abrupt fever and severe joint pain, often in hands and feet, and may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
  • There is no specific antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya.
  • There is no commercial chikungunya vaccine.

• Culex pipiens, commonly referred to as the common house mosquito, is a species of mosquito. House mosquitoes are some of the most common mosquitoes in the United States. More specifically, Culex pipiens is considered the northern house mosquito, as it is the most common mosquito in the northern regions of the US. 
• Anopheles is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818. About 460 species are recognized, while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas.