How Much Do You Know About Mosquito-Borne Diseases?
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
![A mosquito is pictured hanging on a small leaf](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/24e2a5be-screenshot-2024-03-31-111910.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
Answer: Biting a human
![A mosquito is pictured biting a human](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/41561015-screenshot-2024-03-31-111927.jpg)
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
![A collection of plants are pictured outside of a home](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/9b26ac5b-screenshot-2024-03-31-111948.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Remove still bodies of water, including pools and puddles
![An image of a pair of wellie boots standing in a puddle](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/f8706660-screenshot-2024-03-31-112004.jpg)
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/756dcdc2-screenshot-2024-03-31-112020.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Lyme disease
![An image of a large tick before and after feeding](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/03c1e461-screenshot-2024-03-31-112039.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
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](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/01/a3a1b107-1-7.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: All of the above
![A mother applies mosquito repellent to her son's hands](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/29b7eaf2-screenshot-2024-03-31-112247.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/95c9da36-screenshot-2024-03-31-112306.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Malaria
![A woman is pictured wrapped in a blanket as she sits on her couch](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/f59c76c0-screenshot-2024-03-31-112322.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/47301d37-screenshot-2024-03-31-112338.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: A parasite
![An image of a parasite taken under a microscope](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/a0793b2d-screenshot-2024-03-31-112355.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/e3ea2b59-screenshot-2024-03-31-112413.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: All of the above
![A man and woman are pictured lying together in a bed](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/bb353a78-screenshot-2024-03-31-112429.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/b3291d1b-screenshot-2024-03-31-112450.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/de5fdbf7-screenshot-2024-03-31-112517.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/761aed16-screenshot-2024-03-31-112541.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Microcephaly
![A female doctor is pictured working on her computer](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/eae827b5-screenshot-2024-03-31-112600.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/af06cb8b-screenshot-2024-03-31-112638.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
Answer: All of the above
![An image of a mosquito with its blood sack](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/4a18f415-screenshot-2024-03-31-112652.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/ed4319ac-screenshot-2024-03-31-112719.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Every hour
![An image of a man spraying a plethora of mosquito repellent on his arm](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/3d8dbc0e-screenshot-2024-03-31-112813.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/7ad07355-screenshot-2024-03-31-112843.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
Answer: West Nile virus
![An image of the Nile River as it runs through Aswan in Egypt](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/62fbf9a1-screenshot-2024-03-31-112907.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/4d785ac4-screenshot-2024-03-31-112924.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
Answer: World War II
![Several soldiers are pictured on the field during World War II](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/2b2cda56-screenshot-2024-03-31-121604.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/b5ede941-screenshot-2024-03-31-113004.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: West Nile virus
![An image of a man being treated by a nurse as he lies in a hospital bed](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/9da134c6-screenshot-2024-03-31-121101.jpg)
Source: Freepik
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](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/fa0c514a-screenshot-2024-03-31-121034.jpg)
Source: Freepik
Answer: Eastern equine encephalitis
![Very sick man pictured staring over his shoulder as he lies in a hospital bed](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/dd061840-screenshot-2024-03-31-113101.jpg)
Source: Freepik