Mosquitoes in croatia transmitting diseases, ways of prevention and control

Today, the protection of nature and the environment is an integral part of economic and general social development. By raising awareness, thinking and acting proactively, we can count on the sustainable development of future generations. Nevertheless, changes in the ecosystem also have an impact on the number of individual insect species. Mosquitoes are cosmopolitan animals belonging to the family Culicidae. They are carriers of many pathogens that cause numerous diseases in humans and animals: Dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile fever, tularemia, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, Zika fever, etc. The aim of this review is to summarize the current scientific knowledge about mosquitoes, their life cycle, the species present in the Republic of Croatia, the mode of transmission of microorganisms and the diseases transmitted by certain mosquito species in Croatia, and to present the most modern solutions for prevention and control of invasive vector species of mosquito Aedes albopictus using the technique of sterile males (SIT), which is considered one of the most environmentally friendly and developed methods of insect pest control.