Waba : The Infectious Bite Mosquito

Teanaste'lle'n, my tasty friends! I am in the habit of going out to eat, but since you seem to have found me, I will have the luxury of dining-in tonight. If you try to esca…oh how rude of me! I’ve failed to make introductions.

My name is Wäba, and I hail from Ethiopia. You may be thinking, “Wäba? What kind of name is Wäba? Sounds like you have a lithp!” Which, if you did ask, would be entirely rude, and I would probably send my legions to swarm you and your village.

Lesson to be learned: Don’t antagonize a malaria-infected, blood-sucking mosquito (which coincidentally is exactly what wäba means in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia).

 I can hear your mind’s cogs sputtering, “Malaria? What kind of disease is Malaria? Sounds like a really bad cold 1800s-style.” WRONG! I am proud to announce that my kind, laden with Malaria, kills over 1 million people each year, most of whom are children.

Unfortunately for me and my insatiable appetite for human blood, there are ways you humans have developed to protect against my evil schemes. Bug nets and vaccines are my mortal enemies! How am I supposed to slurp sweet baby blood through a mosquito net? *mutters about the intelligence of higher-order life forms* If only I had opposable thumbs!!

Forgive my outburst.

Luckily, most of you ignore those who are suffering the most. For as little as $10 dollars, you could donate a bug net and save the life of a child living in a place where Malaria hits the hardest. Your negligence is my delight! Free dinner for meeee!! *cough* Apologies. The prospect of feasting makes me excited.

I see I’ve enchanted you with my deceptively adorable exterior and swishy cape. You can wear my likeness on your person—I don’t mind; I’m terribly vain. Perhaps the apparel or listening to a few of my stories about how I became a vampire mosquito will trump my appetite for you. That may be your only hope of survival…