► ROUND-UP of mosquitos stalked, smashed, disposed & allegorized as harbingers of global warming ► Mosquitoes ALSO Invade Chicago (June 25, 2008) ► World Mosquito Day and Other Pest “Holidays” by Erica Westly | August 13, 2009 Apparently August 20 is World Mosquito Day. These types of events are usually started to pay tribute to something or someone, but it seems World Mosquito Day was set up to remind people that mosquitoes are bad news.

The World Mosquito Day Observed annually today, August 20, World Mosquito Day originated in 1897 by Dr. Ronald Ross of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, ... Ross is credited with the discovery of the transmission of malaria by the mosquito, and was honored with a Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1902. Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But malaria is not the only disease spread by mosquitoes. There's also West Nile virus, various strains of encephalitis, Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever, Yellow Fever. An article in yesterday's Washington Post mentions that with more than 500 mosquito-borne viruses out there, health officials are concerned about the spread in the United States of tropical diseases such as chikungunya fever and dengue, especially as global temperatures rise. Humans aren't the only targets of these sanguinivorous pests. Mosquitoes can also carry parasites and diseases to dogs and cats (including heartworm) and horses--and many wild animals, including birds. West Nile virus cycles between birds, mosquitoes, and humans. The Asian tiger mosquito was accidentally introduced into the U.S. 20 years ago and is a carrier of West Nile virus. The mosquito has spread rapidly around the world and is known for its aggressive daytime activity and ability to breed in the smallest puddles of water commonly found in gutters, old tires, and empty cans. North Americans know it for the particularly nasty welts and skin irritation left by its bite.