As it turns out, mosquitoes are way worse than crocodiles and lions

Apr 30, 2014 13:55 GMT  ·  By

Too often, people think of mosquitoes as no more and no less than really annoying insects. The thing is that, as annoying as they might be, mosquitoes are also quite deadly, and the infographic below stands as proof.

The infographic has recently been posted by Bill Gates on his blog, and it is intended to raise awareness about the fact that these pests are way more dangerous than crocodiles, sharks and lions combined, The Blaze reports.

Due to the fact that, when feasting on human blood, mosquitoes spread quite a lot of diseases, these insects need be held accountable for about 725,000 yearly deaths. Of these deaths, an impressive 600,000 is due to malaria.

By comparison, sharks, which get a whole lot more bad publicity, kill an estimated 10 people on a yearly basis. Lions, on the other hand, are to blame for about 100 annual deaths.

“Personally I’ve had a thing about sharks since the first time I saw 'Jaws.' But if you’re judging by how many people are killed by an animal every year, then the answer isn’t any of the above. It’s mosquitoes,” Bill Gates wrote in the blogpost accompanying the infographic.

When you're done marveling of the infographic, scroll down a bit further and check out a video detailing why it is that people should fear mosquitoes much more than they fear sharks.

Infographic details the world's deadliest creatures
Infographic details the world's deadliest creatures

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Mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people on an annual basis
Infographic details the world's deadliest creatures
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