World Mosquito Day

World Mosquito Day is observed every year on August 20 to commemorate Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that Anopheles mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite to humans.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has been organising the annual event since the 1930s to mark the British doctor's work. Though very small in size, mosquitoes are perhaps the only predator that has thrived through the centuries, causing death through vector-borne diseases. In fact, it is counted among the world's deadliest, killing more than seven lakh people each year. This day is observed to highlight the efforts of healthcare officials, NGOs, and others in fighting diseases caused by malaria. On World Mosquito Day every year, awareness is created around diseases caused by mosquitoes.

There are several different mosquitoes that act as vectors for different diseases. Aedes mosquitoes cause chikungunya, dengue fever, lymphatic filariasis, rift valley fever, yellow fever, and zika. Anopheles cause malaria, lymphatic filariasis (in Africa).