Little wings of terror: How mosquitoes have affected human history

The world as you know it was made by mosquitoes. Learn how these small animals have controlled diseases and influenced religious practices. Image credit: Depositphotos.

Mandy Applegate (Associated Press)

Most people don’t hear about these diseases until they bite you and leave a red, itchy mark. Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes paved the way for human history by spreading mosquito-borne diseases. Find out how these small wings ruled over people by influencing wars, the economy, religion and even the cause of genetic adjustments.

Change the course of history in military battles

The military forces prepared to face their enemy on the battlefield, but in fact, they saw another enemy – mosquitoes. Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria have decimated armies and affected the outcome of wars.

In the Greco-Persian wars, the Greek soldiers defeated the Persian army with the help of Anopheles mosquitoes while the Persians crossed the marsh. According to “The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator,” Anopheles brought malaria to Persia, leading the Greeks to victory.

This is not the only situation of these little singers that affected the course of the war. The Nazis weaponized them during World War II when they flooded the Pontine Marshes in Italy to create a marsh that attracted malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The Politics Life Science journal explains that although the Allied invasion did not stop the biological war, it caused damage that affected the soldiers on both sides and the Italians who returned to the area later. These diseases may be small but can cause a lot of damage that should not be underestimated.

Measuring culture and religion

Have you ever wondered how popular things were in the old days? Now, with the internet, food challenges and delicious recipes like cheeseburger casserole can become an international sensation in no time. What about the times before the internet was a thing? How did sects of life spread like religions throughout the world?

It may come as a surprise, but mosquito-borne diseases have affected the spread of religions such as Christianity. The Christian faith has the power to cure people affected by mosquito-borne diseases, and its reputation led to the rise of this religion throughout Europe. Who knew that diseases can affect belief systems?

Changing genetics and influencing settlement

It’s interesting how the human body can adapt to different situations. People who are still susceptible to mosquito-borne diseases have undergone genetic changes over time. In Africans, sickle cell mutations were noted; People with this disease have red blood cells that make it difficult to get malaria, according to the Economic Journal. Although this change protected people from malaria, it also came with difficulties that shortened life.

Compared to the African population, which had basic immunity from these diseases for generations, Europeans struggled to survive in the environment of serious African diseases. This is what kept Europeans out of this region until they learned how to extract quinine from the bark of plants to use as a medicine to treat malaria.

Weakening the economies of low and middle income countries

These little bugs have caused financial damage beyond your wildest dreams. According to the JMIR Research Protocols, the cost of mosquito-borne diseases is $12 billion a year.

High inflation is caused by several factors. Low-income and low-income countries are breeding grounds for mosquitoes due to poor sanitation and water quality. This leads to a vicious cycle, because these countries have limited public health, leading people to bear the cost of malaria treatment themselves. These health expenses are a huge financial burden, costing families 25% of their income, which further impoverishes these people. Therefore, with the loss of production it affects the country’s GDP.

The constant battle with mosquitoes

The process of modernization not only involved the transition from using horses to carts or foraging for food to being able to order Chick-fil- A from a car. The advancement of technology also led to the creation of new solutions to fight mosquitoes and the diseases they spread.