Andrew Spielman (1930–2006)

Reviewed Feb. 18th, edited Feb. 20th, 2013

Everything you never actually wanted to know about mosquitos. And when I say everything, I mean that. From geographic distribution, to all the parts of the tiny body, via the science of malaria and politics of eradication. It's all immensely readable which is a triumph of good writing considering the subject.

Will it make you love the not-really-humble mosquito, bastard flying torture machine that it is? Will it make you think of this kamikaze insect with more respect? Will it help you defeat the enemy a la [a:Sun Tzu|1771|Sun Tzu|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1185211202p2/1771.jpg]? No to all of this, but it's still a really interesting book.

Years ago I had dengue fever and moved house. It was the easiest house move I ever did - I couldn't move. I had to be carried to the bathroom even. The other name for dengue is breakbone fever. It feels like someone has smashed your skull behind your eyes and that every bone in your body has been broken. There isn't any treatment for it, you just have to make sure you don't get dehydrated and wait it out. A few years ago a friend's husband got the very rare haemorrhagic dengue fever. He was medivac'd out to a hospital in the US but he still died.

Dengue is going around again I heard yesterday. The streets are getting sprayed, the Public Health people are going around houses asking if you have anything, plant pot bases, old tyres, discarded toys in the garden that might be holding water. Dengue isn't common around here and isn't fatal apart from the haemorrhagic variety, but it is worrying, it's just the most painful illness you can imagine. Fingers crossed.

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