Mosquitoes, ticks, flies and other insects can be far more than a nuisance. The diseases they carry-malaria, dengue, yellow fever, filaria, and many others-can cause serious illness and in some cases death.
On World Health Day 2014, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) urged stepped-up action to prevent and control diseases transmitted by insects and other small organisms, known as “vectors.”
The theme for this year’s World Health Day was “Small bites, big threats, protect yourself and your environments from vector-borne diseases.” A statement from PAHO/WHO reminded governments and citizens not to forget that the fight against communicable diseases and infectious diseases is not yet won. It added that the attention on
