How Much Do You Know About Mosquito-Borne Diseases?

By: Ben Campbell | Published: Apr 13, 2024

A wise man once said, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been in a tent with a mosquito.” While enlightening, this certainly suggests how devious these little creatures can be. 

However, their irritating bites are only part of the problem, as they can carry several deadly diseases. But how much do you know about mosquito-borne diseases? Let’s find out.

1. How do mosquitoes spread disease?

  • A) Contact with a human
  • B) Biting a human
  • C) Nesting in human hair
  • D) All of the above
Advertisement
A mosquito is pictured hanging on a small leaf

Source: Wikimedia

Answer: Biting a human

Advertisement
A mosquito is pictured biting a human

Source: Wikimedia

2. What should you do to eliminate mosquitoes outside of your home?

  • A) Fly swat them all
  • B) Remove still bodies of water, including pools and puddles
  • C) Reduce the amount of plants 
  • D) Get rid of old tires
Advertisement
A collection of plants are pictured outside of a home

Source: Freepik

Answer: Remove still bodies of water, including pools and puddles

Advertisement
An image of a pair of wellie boots standing in a puddle

Source: Freepik

3. Which of the following is not a mosquito-borne illness?

  • A) Malaria
  • B) Lyme disease
  • C) West Nile virus
  • D) Zika virus
A woman is pictured lying in bed as she suffers from an illness

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: Lyme disease

An image of a large tick before and after feeding

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

4. What is the best way to protect yourself from mosquito bites?

  • A) Use a mosquito repellent
  • B) Ensure you have screens on your window
  • C) Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants
  • D) All of the above
Lone hiker walks through a snowy landscape in the mountains surrounded by trees

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: All of the above

A mother applies mosquito repellent to her son's hands

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

5. What is the most common mosquito-borne illness?

  • A) Lymes disease
  • B) West Nile virus
  • C) Dengue
  • D) Malaria
An image of a man pictured seated on his couch as he blows his nose

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: Malaria

A woman is pictured wrapped in a blanket as she sits on her couch

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

6. What causes malaria?

  • A) A virus
  • B) A parasite
  • C) A bacterium
  • D) A mosquito
A tiny mosquito is pictured as it sits on a green leaf

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: A parasite

An image of a parasite taken under a microscope

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

7. The Zika virus is typically spread via mosquitoes. But how else can it spread?

  • A) From a mother to her child during pregnancy
  • B) Sexual contact
  • C) Through a blood transfusion
  • D) All of the above
A woman is pictured holding her stomach as she drinks juice

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: All of the above

A man and woman are pictured lying together in a bed

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

8. Which of the following statements is true about the Zika virus?

  • A) Millions have died from the Zika virus
  • B) The illness typically only lasts a few days to a week
  • C) Mosquitoes can only spread the Zika virus at night
  • D) All of the above
Three people are pictured seated on a park wall wearing masks

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: The illness typically only lasts a few days to a week

A woman is pictured lying on her couch as she blows her nose

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

9. What was a common brain condition associated with Zika virus patients in 2015?

  • A) Epilepsy
  • B) Microcephaly
  • C) Cerebral palsy
  • D) Glioblastoma
An image of a doctor as he looks at the results of an MRI scan

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: Microcephaly

A female doctor is pictured working on her computer

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

10. Which kind of mosquito spreads a blood disease?

  • A) Anopheles
  • B) Culex
  • C) Aedes
  • D) All of the above
A small mosquito is pictured as it prepares to bite a human

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

Answer: All of the above

An image of a mosquito with its blood sack

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

11. To protect yourself from mosquito-borne diseases, how often should you apply insect repellent?

  • A) Every 15 minutes
  • B) Every hour
  • C) Every three hours
  • D) Once a day
A woman holds out her hands as a friend sprays repellent onto them

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: Every hour

An image of a man spraying a plethora of mosquito repellent on his arm

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

12. What mosquito-borne illnesses typically found in Africa reached the U.S. in 1989?

  • A) Dengue
  • B) Malaria
  • C) Yellow fever
  • D) West Nile virus
A man is pictured walking through a desert in Africa

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

Answer: West Nile virus

An image of the Nile River as it runs through Aswan in Egypt

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

13. Which 20th-century event provoked a massive uptick in dengue fever cases?

  • A) The Spanish Flu
  • B) The Great Depression
  • C) World War II
  • D) Beatlemania
The Beatles are pictured waving to a crowd during an event

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

Answer: World War II

Several soldiers are pictured on the field during World War II

Source: Wikimedia

Advertisement

14. Which of the following mosquito illnesses cannot be prevented by vaccination?

  • A) Dengue fever
  • B) Malaria
  • C) West Nile virus
  • D) Yellow fever
An image of a woman receiving a vaccination from a nurse

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: West Nile virus

An image of a man being treated by a nurse as he lies in a hospital bed

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

15. In 1959, a disease outbreak occurred due to Aedes mosquitoes. But the disease they carried is actually more common in horses. What is the disease’s name?

  • A) Anthrax
  • B) Horse colic
  • C) Eastern equine encephalitis
  • D) Brucellosis
Three people are pictured standing side by side wearing face masks

Source: Freepik

Advertisement

Answer: Eastern equine encephalitis

Very sick man pictured staring over his shoulder as he lies in a hospital bed

Source: Freepik

Advertisement