The 180th Episode : Living things that take the most human lives
[June, 2009 Accra, Ghana]
As mentioned, the certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory to enter Ghana. People in Ghana, however, seemed to fear the malaria more than yellow fever. When we got on a car, a mosquito got in together. A local guy shouted "malaria! malaria! ... " opening windows to try to ward it off.
I didn't know which was which, but I'd carried some insecticides for mosquitoes bought in Japan to prevent their bites anyway. My colleagues gave me the cold shoulder, saying "they're for Japanese mosquitoes, but effective for African strong ones?" I was actually bit a couple of spots whilst sleeping in the night at the hotel. I was a little frightened the first time but calmed myself down because I'd been vaccinated. Then nothing happened after then, that relieved myself.
Although many people might be reminded of wild animals with Africa, they don't exist in the town naturally. We must pay attention to the vicious animals in the right places when we go, but mosquitoes are the most terrible living things in towns. Because the living things that take most human lives are not lions nor alligators nor sharks... but mosquitoes.
