Malaria is transmitted by the bite of female.........mosquitos.

Appeared in: MNS 2015

Explanation

Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium.
The parasite is transmitted to humans only through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
The female mosquito requires a blood meal for the development of her eggs, and during this feeding process, she can inject the parasites into the human bloodstream.
While there are many species of Anopheles, only certain ones are effective vectors for malaria.

Option A: The Culex genus of mosquitoes does not transmit malaria.
Option C: The Mansonia genus of mosquitoes is not a vector for malaria.
Option D: The Aedes genus of mosquitoes is responsible for transmitting several viral diseases, but not malaria.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vector-borne diseases, specifically the transmission of Malaria as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a vital role in educating patients and communities about malaria prevention, including the use of insecticide-treated bed nets and mosquito repellents to avoid bites from Anopheles mosquitoes.
Knowledge of specific vectors is essential for public health authorities to implement targeted control measures, such as eliminating the breeding sites of Anopheles mosquitoes (clean water) versus Aedes mosquitoes (artificial water collections).
In a clinical setting, a patient's travel history and symptoms help form a differential diagnosis. Fever after travel to a malaria-endemic region points towards Anopheles transmission, whereas fever with rash and joint pain might suggest an Aedes-borne illness.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concept in the question. The question asks for the specific mosquito that transmits malaria.
This is a factual recall question based on knowledge of entomology and communicable diseases.
Access your memory or knowledge base regarding major vector-borne diseases.
Specifically, recall the parasite (Plasmodium) and the vector (Anopheles mosquito) for malaria.
Systematically evaluate the other options to confirm they are incorrect. Associate Aedes with dengue/Zika, Culex with Japanese encephalitis/filariasis, and Mansonia with filariasis.
Select Anopheles as the only correct vector for malaria among the choices.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vector-borne diseases, specifically the transmission of Malaria.
Stem keywords: Malaria, transmitted, bite, female mosquitos
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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

Practise the full MNS 2015

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