Dengue is spread by which mosquito?

Appeared in: NHM MP Staff Nurse-2019

Explanation

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted primarily by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito.
This mosquito is easily identifiable by its black body and white striped ('lyre') pattern on its thorax and legs.
It is a day-biting mosquito, with peak feeding times in the early morning and late afternoon.
Aedes aegypti breeds in clean, stagnant water found in artificial containers near human habitats, making source reduction a key preventive strategy.

Option B: Culex mosquitoes are vectors for diseases like Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile fever, and Lymphatic Filariasis, not Dengue.
Option C: The female Anopheles mosquito is the well-known vector for Malaria.
Option D: This option is incorrect because Dengue is a well-documented vector-borne disease with a specific and identified mosquito vector.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vector-borne diseases and their specific mosquito vectors as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Identifying the correct vector is crucial for implementing targeted public health interventions. For Dengue, this means focusing on source reduction of clean water containers where Aedes breeds.
Nurses are at the forefront of community education, teaching about preventive measures like eliminating breeding sites, using mosquito repellents, and recognizing the signs of Dengue.
What if? If a patient presents with high fever, chills, and sweating that occurs in cycles, a nurse should consider Malaria instead of Dengue. This clinical picture points towards an Anopheles bite and would require different diagnostic tests (e.g., peripheral smear) and treatment.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the specific mosquito that transmits Dengue.
This is a factual recall question common in Community Health Nursing.
Mentally review the main mosquito-borne diseases and their vectors taught in microbiology and community medicine.
Differentiate between the vectors listed: Anopheles is famously linked to Malaria, and Culex to Japanese Encephalitis and Filariasis.
Recall that Aedes is the primary vector for Dengue, as well as Chikungunya and Zika.
Based on this established knowledge, select Aedes aegypti as the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QdhYSbj_BruqDLhxEHdyTU

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) p. 87-89

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 2073-2075

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart B (pp 202-403 of 604) p. 104-106

Practise the full NHM MP Staff Nurse-2019

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.