Published 18:41 IST, June 15th 2019
BIZARRE | 'Zero mosquito population' country Iceland stores last one found in an alcohol jar
With the tropic heat in many parts of India and ubiquitous filth present everywhere, mosquitoes are have been close companions. And we can never get far away from them, as even during travels abroad if the weather becomes warmer, there is always a chance of an encounter with the pesky little insect. But Iceland boasts of being a country which does not have any mosquito population.
- World News
- 2 min read
With the tropic heat in many parts of India and ubiquitous filth present everywhere, mosquitoes are have been close companions. And we can never get far away from them, as even during travels abroad if the weather becomes warmer, there is always a chance of an encounter with the pesky little insect.
But Iceland boasts of being a country which does not have any mosquito population. The dearth of any mosquito has even led its Icelandic Institute of Natural History to preserve the remains of the species in an alcohol jar.
The mosquito was found in the 1980s by Gisli Mar Gislason, a biologist at the University of Iceland who boarded a plane from the country which had come from Greenland.
Gislason had said to a publication to have literally chased the mosquito around the plane's cabin to catch it.
The temperature, lack of naturally occurring shallow water and cleanliness are likely to be the reasons for the mosquitoes to not be able to colonize the country, reports say. The same conditions - warmer climate, shallow water, and dirt which are abundant in India help them breed insanely.
With rains coming to several parts of the country, it will also bring in the mosquitoes and create problems to those who are less privileged, and in many cases spread widespread fatal illness. Apart from Malaria, Dengue, and many other diseases, Zika happens to be one of the latest one to be carried by the insect.
Iceland itself seems to pride on being a mosquito-free nation as despite telling the world about having no alive specimen of the species, it released a press statement about the same in 2018.
However, in order to get away from them, Iceland is not the only mosquito-free country. Other countries which have claimed to have no mosquitoes are New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Seychelles.
Updated 19:06 IST, June 15th 2019