Context: With the change in season and rise in temperature, culex or common house mosquitoes have made a reappearance across the capital.

What are Culex mosquitoes and why is there a need to worry?

• Warmer temperatures are the main reason for the appearance of these mosquitoes.
• Their presence is especially felt more in areas around floodplains in East and South Delhi as it is an ideal condition of breeding.
• Culex mosquitoes are known carriers of some serious diseases. They can fly up to a distance of 1-1.5 km.
• Unlike Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread dengue and chikungunya and breed in clean water, culex mosquitoes breed in unclean stagnant water.

How are they harmful?

• Culex mosquitoes are known carriers of Japanese encephalitis, a potentially life-threatening but rare viral disease that causes “acute inflammation” of the brain.
• They breed in dirty, stagnant water.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/culex-house-mosquitoes-delhi-7251706/

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