Malaria in Pakistan is most probably being spread by a non-virulent and harmless species of mosquitoes called Anopheles pulcherrimus.
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Harmless Mosquitoes On the Move
“A previously unknown and harmless species of mosquitoes called Anopheles pulcherrimus is now spreading malaria at an alarming pace in the flood-affected areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and south Punjab,” Muhammad Mukhtar, a leading Pakistani entomologist, told The News. More than five million suspected cases of malaria have so far been reported from the flood-affected areas of Sindh, Balochistan, and south Punjab from January to November 2022, officials in the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS, R&C) said, adding that new revelations regarding the change in malaria-causing species in Pakistan have emerged as an ‘alarming development’ for the entire world.‘Extremely high temperatures followed by devastating floods due to climate change have wiped out a major species of mosquitoes, the Anopheles culicifacies, which was known for causing malaria in Pakistan.’
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“During the current field investigation, surprisingly not a single specimen of 'Anopheles culicifacies' in four districts of Sindh and Balochistan was found. This shows that this species has been wiped out from the flood-affected districts, most probably due to extraordinarily high temperatures followed by devastating floods this year,” Mukhtar, who is the Director of Malaria Control at NHS, R&C claimed, The News reported.
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Source-IANS