Take a quick look at these two deadly mosquito-borne illnesses.
|
West Nile |
Malaria |
| What it is |
A virus. |
A parasite |
| How it's Transmitted |
A bite from a mosquito that has fed on the blood of an infected bird. |
A bite from a mosquito that has fed on the blood of an infected person. |
| The Symptoms |
Fever, stiff neck, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Of those infected, 80 per cent have no symptoms. |
Fever, muscle pain, and vomiting. Malaria can affect the brain, causing seizures and coma. |
| Most Vulnerable |
People over age 50 and people with chronic diseases or weak immune systems. |
Children under five and pregnant women. |
| Location |
Outbreaks have occurred in the Middle East, South Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. Canada reported the first human cases in 2002. |
90 per cent of those infected live in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria also thrives in tropical areas of Asia and South and Central America. |
| Number of Deaths |
131 North Americans, including 12 Canadians, died of West Nile in 2005. |
More than one million in Africa annually, most of them children. |
Click here
to learn more about malaria in Africa and what World Vision is doing to help prevent the spread.
Click here
to send mosquito nets to children in Africa.
