THO oiMquito, ut best is an insect we could do without. but SOil('. kinds
of mosquitoes arc so dangerous rhat tbey may have changed tht:- ciffi~ of
history. Certain ancient Meditcrmncan civilizntions are believed to hove fallen
because of epidemics of mosquito carried diseases. Early ill this century. the
building 11f the Pana mu Canul was almost given up because so many workers
died of yellow fever and u1ularia These are diseases transmitted by mosqui-
toes,
TI1e male mosquito feeds on nectar from flowers. but the female must
eat blood for the production of her eggs. When lhC female mosquito biles her
victim. she pumps saliva into the bitten spol in order to make the blood t1ow more freely into her sucking tube. If the mosquito is one of the kinds which
carries yellow fever or malaria. the germs or those diseases are carried with
the saliva into the victim's bloodstream.
Fortunately, only a Icw of the more U1an 2,000 different kinds of
mosquitoes can carry these diseases. Even the carrying kinds arc harmless
until they have bitten sorneone intccred with the diseases they can rmnsmit.
Two years of hard work and many millions of dol lars were required to
clean up the mosquito-brel!.ding spots and free construction workers from the
diseases which plagued the Pana ma Canul Zone. Ou I y are these were done