The tiger mosquito is?

Appeared in: NCL (MP) Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

The 'tiger mosquito' is the common name for mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, such as Aedes albopictus.
This name is derived from their characteristic black and white striped pattern on the body and legs.
Aedes mosquitoes are significant vectors of viral diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika.
A key behavioral trait is that they are aggressive day-biters, which distinguishes them from many other mosquito types that are active at night.

Option A: Anopheles mosquitoes are known for having spotted wings and resting at an angle to the surface. They are not referred to as 'tiger mosquitoes'.
Option B: Culex mosquitoes are typically dull brown and lack the distinctive stripes of the tiger mosquito. They are known as 'nuisance mosquitoes' and breed in dirty, stagnant water.
Option D: Mansonia mosquitoes are large, brown or black mosquitoes with speckled wings and legs. Their larvae have a unique habit of attaching to aquatic plants to breathe.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Identification of mosquito genera and their public health importance as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding mosquito vectors is crucial for community health nurses to implement targeted control measures and provide accurate patient education on preventing vector-borne diseases.
Nurses play a key role in identifying disease outbreaks (e.g., a cluster of dengue cases) and advising the community on source reduction, such as eliminating stagnant water where Aedes mosquitoes breed.
What if? If a patient presents with high fever, rash, and severe joint pain after visiting a tropical area, a nurse should suspect a disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes (like Dengue or Chikungunya) and inquire about mosquito bites during the day.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question from community health nursing and entomology.
Step 1: Identify the keyword in the question, which is 'tiger mosquito'.
Step 2: Recall the common names and visual characteristics of medically important mosquito genera.
Step 3: Associate the term 'tiger mosquito' with the genus known for its distinctive black and white striped appearance, which is Aedes.
Step 4: Differentiate this from the other options. Anopheles is linked to malaria, Culex to encephalitis, and Mansonia to a specific type of filariasis; none are called 'tiger mosquitoes'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Identification of mosquito genera and their public health importance.
Stem keywords: tiger mosquito
Lead-in keywords: is
Negative lead-in flag: false

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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 NCL (MP) Nursing Officer - 2019

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