What is the deadliest animal you know?
Think smaller.
Smaller.
I'll give you a hint.
That's right.
The mosquito is the deadliest
animal on Earth.
And if just one can be dangerous,
you'd better prepare
for what's coming next.
What has killed nearly 52 billion people
in the last 2,000 centuries?
It wasn't other humans.
It was mosquitoes.
But although they boast over
3,000 species,
only a few hundred of them
drink human blood.
These species do the most damage
to us worldwide.
They spread deadly diseases like malaria,
yellow fever,
dengue, and the West Nile virus.
Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite.
And they need your blood.
Not because it's tasty,
but to gain protein,
which they use to lay eggs.
According to the
World Health Organization,
the diseases mosquitoes transmit
kill over 705,000 people every year.
But since we're sending
one trillion mosquitoes your way,
you might not live long enough
to worry about getting a disease.
Here's what you should do to avoid
losing all your blood.
Female mosquitoes are attracted
both by smell and sight.
So instead of bright colors,
choose neutral color clothes.
Also, wear long sleeves and pants
instead of shorts to cover more
of your skin.
And ease up on the perfume,
deodorant,
soap and shampoo,
since these bugs are
enticed by fragrance.
Also, the carbon dioxide you exhale
attracts mosquitoes.
And when you're annoyed
and start swatting at them,
you'll be breathing heavily,
making yourself even more desirable.
All that swatting could make you hot,
and that's bad news because
mosquitoes look for people with
elevated body temperatures.
And if your blood is type O,
be extra careful.
That's the one mosquitoes prefer.
Okay,
maybe fire is not the best way,
and you could hurt yourself.
So don't get too creative.
But if a swarm of one trillion mosquitoes
is attacking you,
it would be helpful to kill
as many as possible
before they bite you.
You could use a bug spray that kills them.
But be careful not to suffocate yourself
or breathe too much of the chemicals
you’re spraying.
And you could use an electric swatter.
With this many mosquitoes,
it would sound like a fireworks show.
And the smell wouldn't be pleasant,
so you might want to cover your nose.
This might be your best bet for surviving
because your chances are very slim.
Try to protect your eyes
and face from bites.
And keep swatting at the bugs,
since they need time to suck your blood.
You’ll need to get to a hospital fast,
where you'll begin receiving treatment
to reduce swelling from the bites.
And you'll need blood transfusions
to keep you alive.
This seed's volume is about
five microliters.
And that's about how much of your blood
a female mosquito dines on per meal.
Most people have 5.5 million microliters
or 5.5 L (1.45 gal) of blood.
So 1.1 million female mosquitoes
could suck all the blood from your body.
And one trillion female mosquitoes
would kill you before they finished
feasting on your body.
This is because you’d go into
hemorrhagic shock after losing about
30% of your blood.
You'd face major organ failures
as your heart loses the pressure it needs
to circulate your blood.
If you survive the attack,
you'll need tests for the viruses
and diseases mosquitoes carry.
Chikungunya and dengue can cause fever,
headache, joint and muscle pains,
and nausea.
Yellow fever has similar symptoms,
and it can be fatal.
Zika causes a mild fever,
headache,
joint and muscle pains,
a rash, and irritated eyes.
Zika can also affect an unborn child
if the mother is infected while pregnant.
It can cause microcephaly
on the babies,
and can lead to developmental delay,
problems with hearing and vision,
and more.
About 400,000 people die every year
due to malaria.
Symptoms include fever,
headache and vomiting.
According to the
World Health Organization,
malaria mainly occurs
in sub-Saharan Africa.
And the West Nile virus can be fatal.
Symptoms include headache,
fever, a stiff neck,
confusion, coma,
convulsions,
and muscle weakness.
You might think that
the worst part is over,
but you'll still go through hell
before you recover.
But no matter how itchy you are,
you shouldn't scratch the bites.
Scratching can cause bleeding,
infection,
and more pain.
So instead, use a cooling gel,
calamine lotion
or aloe vera.
Apply a cool compress
or take an antihistamine by mouth.
You survived being attacked
by one trillion mosquitoes.
Thankfully, you were near a hospital.
But what if you were
in the middle of a jungle,
surrounded not only by mosquitoes,
but also many other predators?
Could you survive being lost
in the Amazon?
Find out here.