Mandy Applegate (Associated Press) Most don’t pay attention to these pests until you are bitten and left with a red, itchy mark. Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes have shaped the course of human history through the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses. Discover how these tiny wings reigned over humans by influencing warfare, the economy, religion and even causing genetic adaptations.
Military forces were prepared to face their opponent on the battlefield when, in reality, they had another enemy they were blindsighted by – mosquitoes. Mosquito-born diseases like malaria have decimated armies and affected war outcomes. In the Greco-Persian wars, the Greek soldiers defeated the Persian army with the help of Anopheles mosquitoes as the Persians traversed the swamps.
According to ” The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator ,” the Anopheles transmitted malaria to the Persians, leading the Greeks to victory. This was not the only case of these tiny bugs affecting the course of war. The Nazis weaponized them in World War II when they flooded the Pontine Marshes in Italy to create a swamp that attracted malaria carrying mosquito species.
The Politics Life Science journal details that although the act of biological warfare did not stop the Allied advance, it did cause outbreaks that harmed soldiers on both sides and among the Italians who returned to the area afterward. These pests may be small but can cause far-reaching damage that shouldn’t be underestimated..
