Mosquito Research in India

Mosquitoes have been associated with humans since times immemorial. Mosquitoes have been figured out in the scriptures of yore, and the Indian literature is not only the oldest reference to mosquitoes, but it also has the most complete treatment on the epidemiology of malaria, with many mosquito species identified with tertian and quartan types of malarial fevers. The modern science of mosquito research began with Manson (J Linn Soc (Zool) 14:304–311, 1878) discovery of mosquito (Culex pipiens) and filariasis worm (Wuchereria bancrofti) connection. This was furthered in cases of malaria (Ross. Br Med J 2:1786–1788, 1897; Grassi. Acc. Lincei, Rend Sc. Mat Fis Nat. 8:21–8, 1899) and other mosquito-borne infections. One of the most promising modern discoveries has been the RIDL gene transfer technology in the male mosquito of Aedes aegypti through genetic manipulation and control of vector populations in many countries such as Brazil and the USA. Inter alia, many inventions, innovations, and discoveries in Culicidae have been made by a large number of scientists which have impacted a great deal of the overall understanding and control of mosquitoes in India.