An evil booger, which is considered the deadliest creature in the world (6 photos)

This is what the World Health Organization calls the creature captured in the photo under high magnification. And for good reason: a 10-mm bug fully corresponds to this status.





We are talking about the most common malaria mosquito. The bastard destroys people's lives much more often than any other wild boars and jaguars. And even more often than the people themselves. And it would seem that there are no more dangerous creatures in this world than humans.



If we take global indicators, from 625 to 725 thousand people die annually from the bite of a malaria mosquito. And about 1 million become disabled. Just think about these numbers!





When an infected female bites a human, the body becomes infected with Plasmodium falciparum parasites. They affect the liver, as a result of which the red blood cells responsible for supplying oxygen to cells, tissues and organs suffer.

The patient begins to feel nausea, headache, chills, and the liver and spleen increase in size. If therapy is not started in time (a complex of drugs, including artemisinin, is used for this), the disease can become severe and result in death. External symptoms appear on average two weeks after the bite.



If scientists were faced with the task of creating the perfect killing machine, then a mosquito would be ideal as a prototype, and not wolves, tigers or birds of prey. This insect has a hundred eyes, 48 ​​teeth, and three hearts (each with two atria and two ventricles).

Thanks to thermal receptors, the mosquito accurately finds the location of the victim, and the anesthetic in the saliva allows it to bite completely painlessly. It also contains proteins that promote blood clotting. Directly at the moment of the bite and during the sucking process, the person does not feel anything. The itching begins only a few hours later.

The insect's proboscis is designed in such a way that the thinnest needles painlessly penetrate the skin. And one special pair also pushes it apart for easier access to food. The hooks on the legs allow it to securely attach to the victim’s skin: even movement will not interfere with the meal.



The malarial mosquito differs from the ordinary mosquito in having longer hind legs, while in the common mosquito both of them look the same. The bloodsucker also has dark spots on its wings.



With the exception of Antarctica, malaria mosquitoes live everywhere. In 2020, about 241 million cases of infection were recorded, of which 627 thousand resulted in death. The bulk - about 95% - comes from African countries.

The effectiveness of the widely distributed RTS malaria vaccine varies from 25 to 50%. Another one is currently being developed. The creators claim that the effectiveness in the case of a disease that claims lives and negatively affects the global economy will be 77%.