Not Just the Bite, Mosquito Saliva Can Weaken Your Immunity!

August 5, 2025

BeeFams, did you know? It’s not just the mosquito bite that’s dangerous, its saliva also contains substances that can weaken our immune system. Let’s find out more!

Every year, dengue fever (DBD) cases remain high in Indonesia. As of early July 2025, more than 82,000 cases and 375 deaths have been reported in almost every province. This serves as a reminder that dengue is not just a seasonal illness we can take lightly. In fact, over the past three years (2021–2024), people aged 15–44 have been the most frequently infected.

Although small in size, mosquito bites can transmit various diseases. But that’s not all, when they bite, mosquitoes also inject saliva into our bodies. This saliva doesn’t just cause itching; it contains proteins that can affect our immune system, making us more vulnerable to infections. Our body’s reaction to mosquito saliva can even worsen symptoms or speed up the progression of diseases they carry, including the dengue virus.

Researchers have discovered the presence of subgenomic flaviviral RNA (sfRNA)—a virus messenger molecule—in the saliva of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This sfRNA can interfere with the body’s defense mechanisms, allowing the dengue virus to more easily enter and multiply inside the human body.

So, What Can We Do?

For now, prevention is still the main key to avoiding dengue infection. The best way is to avoid mosquito bites by:

1. Practicing the “3M Plus” method:

Draining water containers regularly

Tightly covering water storage containers

Recycling unused items that could become mosquito breeding sites

Plus:

✔ Using mosquito repellents or lotion

✔ Sleeping under mosquito nets

✔ Sprinkling larvicide in places that are hard to drain

✔ Keeping fish that eat mosquito larvae

2. Keeping the environment clean, especially during the rainy season or transitional weather.