One may wonder with many mosquitoes buzzing every night in Nairobi, how come there are no people being infected with malaria. Despite the numerous bites we get especially to those whose immunity is low such as pregnant women and children under age five, there are still negligible reported cases of malaria to Nairobi residents.
If for instance there is a single reported case then contact tracing will need to be done to ascertain where you came from as you are offered treatment. Here are some of the scientific facts to explain why Nairobi has no malaria despite numerous mosquitoes:
1. Nairobi is a low-risk area. The region has been marked as a malaria-free zone as its warm climate is only more habitable for Culex mosquitoes that are usually unable to carry malaria disease (the Plasmodium which is only transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito).
2. Nairobi has many Culex mosquitoes. This breeds of mosquitoes are a biting nuisance but they do not transmit malaria. The breed that transmits malaria is the female Anopheles mosquitoes which are usually few in numbers. The main reason for Culex mosquitoes increase in number is due to increasing urbanization which is taking place without considerations of health and safety issues.
3. Health medics usually offer early treatment to reported malaria case. Prompt and effective diagnosis, actions to control mosquito numbers, and close follow-up of people who visit Nairobi from overseas who were sick with malaria help prevent any likelihood of malaria plasmodium being spread by the few Anopheles mosquito breeds available. The point is if you can stop infected people passing on the parasite to mosquitoes, or stop infected mosquitoes passing on the parasite to humans, malaria cannot spread