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What are vector-borne diseases?
What is a vector?
A vector is an organism or insect that transmits an infectious pathogen from an infected animal or human host to an uninfected living being. Arthropod vectors are ectotherms that are sensitive to climatic factors.
Survival, development, habitat suitability, and reproduction rates of vectors are influenced by the weather conditions.
What are vector-borne diseases?
Human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by mosquitoes, sandflies, triatomine bugs, blackflies, ticks, tsetse flies, mites, snails and lice.
Vector-borne diseases are infections transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (invertebrate animals) species, such as mosquitoes, fleas, triatomine bugs, ticks, blackflies and sandflies.
When a patient suffering from dengue fever is bitten by a vector mosquito, the mosquito is infected and it may spread the disease by biting other people.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, Zika virus, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, Japanese encephalitis and leishmaniasis.
Tropical and subtropical countries witness the highest number of vector-borne diseases. Dengue and chikungunya infections are caused by the 'aedes aegypti' mosquito, which breeds in clean water. The female anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, breeds in both muddy and clean water.
Vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue are spread through mosquitoes and affect many people across India every year.
Such diseases arise soon after the onset of monsoon season. Vector-borne diseases spread due to poor sanitation, contaminated water bodies, non-maintenance of overhead tanks and other polluted water containers, and inefficient solid waste management.
Symptoms and diagnosis
A person who suffers from any vector-borne disease usually develops a high fever, accompanied by symptoms like nausea, headaches, pain at the back of the eyes, rashes as well as joint pain and muscle cramps.
Since the symptoms are not specific, it is necessary to diagnose the disease.
A serology testing is advised if the patient has suffered from the symptoms for more than a week. As there isn't a particular treatment for this vector-borne disease, immediate medical attention reduces the chance of death. In fact, some dengue patients need a blood transfusion after a low platelet count.