Disease spread by mosquitoes (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: MALARIA (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Disease spread by mosquitoes (7)" with 7 letters is "MALARIA". “MALARIA” is a perfect 7-letter, straight-definition answer: malaria is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes (specifically Anopheles species carrying Plasmodium parasites). The clue is literal rather than cryptic—“disease spread by mosquitoes” = MALARIA. As a neat aside, the word comes from Italian mal’aria (“bad air”), reflecting the old belief that swamp miasmas, not mosquitoes, caused the illness.
Why “Malaria” Fits
The clue “disease spread by mosquitoes (7)” calls for the word MALARIA.
- Primary keyword: Malaria is a serious infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites and spread to humans through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Only these mosquitoes can transmit the disease, making malaria the most globally recognized mosquito-borne illness.
- Immediate answer: Malaria fits the clue and grid requirements, as it’s the classic, seven-letter answer for mosquito-transmitted disease, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.
- LSI keywords: Plasmodium, mosquito-borne, parasite infection, tropical disease, anopheles, fever, chills, vector, endemic, transmission cycle.
- Transmission cycle: A mosquito feeds on an infected person and picks up Plasmodium parasites. When it bites another person, it passes the parasites into their bloodstream, which then travel to the liver and multiply before returning to infect red blood cells, causing symptoms like fever, chills, and fatigue.
- Scope: Malaria is common in regions with standing water and warm climates—sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Asia, and Central/South America. It can also be transmitted very rarely through blood transfusions, organ transplants, and congenitally (mother to child), but almost all cases originate from mosquito bites.
- Prevention: Using bed nets, insect repellents, and antimalarial medications are effective strategies where malaria is endemic.
