[Criminal at Large] [Man enters the Scoop Magazine building that has a sign hanging on the door reading 'Reporter Photographer Wanted'] [Man sits across from Joe Wright, Editor of Scoop Magazine] Man: Sir, my name is Sam Snipe! I'm lookin' for a job as a reporter / photographer and I thought, possibly, you might have something to offer. Joe: Well, I am looking for a man, but Scoop Magazine hires only the best! He's got to be good enough to get the story I want on a female who has the reputation of being the most dangerous criminal in the world! Her business is robbery and cold-blooded murder. I want a story and exclusive pictures on her hangout and how she operates. Would you like a try on this assignment? Sam: Yes, sir! I sure would, but who is this dame? Joe: They call her Anne The Awful. Her gang is worse than the famous Ma Barker Gang. She's a thief and a killer, she stops at nothing. Scoop must expose this vicious criminal! It may be a tough assignment, but if you can get the story we want, you're hired! It's up to you. [Sam leaves] Joe: Well, if that boy brings back a story on hand, the offer will surprise me. If he does, he's got a job for life. Sam: Ann The Awful, gosh how can I find her? Well, this is my big chance - I gotta find her! Is she a pistol-packing gun moll, a bubble dancer, or uh, or, or uh a beautiful spy? Oh, just my luck! Don't even know where to look. Now what does he think I am anyway, a detective? I'll have to keep my eyes open and not miss a lead! [Sam comes across the Health Department and a poster on it] Sam: Hey, what's this! "She's dangerous. Get her before she gets you. An-An-Anopheles Mosquito spreads malaria." Say, I wonder if that could be Anne The Awful. Could a little mosquito be that dangerous? Eh, sounds like a screwy idea, but I can't afford to pass up a lead! [Sam goes to a Health Officer] Sam: Morning, sir! I'm Sam Snipe from Scoop Magazine. Doctor: Scoop Magazine, eh? What can I do for you? Sam: Well, I'm out to get a story on the most dangerous female in the world. She's known as Anne The Awful and she's a murderess! That's all I know about her, but I saw the poster on the Anopheles Mosquito in your window and I had an idea that she might be the one I'm lookin' for. Doctor: If you're looking for a dangerous female, you're on the right track. [Anopheles Mosquito. Malaria carrier - Murderess] Doctor: She's a robber and a killer. She murders millions of people each year. It's time people got wise to the Anopheles Mosquito and the Health Department will be glad to help you expose her. Sam: Golly, she must be quite a gal! Sounds like she's the one I'm after, tell me more about her. [Sick person. Well Person] Doctor: You see, she carries malaria from the sick person to the well person. Then, the well person gets sick and can't do a full days work. Farms and factories don't produce and people lose money. The farmer who has malaria may want to work - but can't. Doctor: The malaria germs the Anopheles Mosquito give him destroys his blood and keep him weak and run-down. Sam: Say, this mosquito must be Anne The Awful! can you give me the dope on her? Doctor: Yes, but, eh, I prefer that Mr. Bradford, our expert on insects, give you the information. Mr. Bradford, this is Sam Snipe, a reporter from Scoop Magazine. Doctor: He wants a good story on the Anopheles Mosquito. Will you give him some assistance? Bradford: Why sure, Sam. I'd be glad to help you. Bring your camera and let's go. [City Limits. Hurry back!] Sam: Why are we going into the country, Mr. Bradford? I thought most gangs operated in the city. Bradford: Oh, but Anne and her gang are different. Sometimes they operate in the city, but most frequently they commit their crime in the country within one mile of their birthplace. [Anopheles quadrimaculatus] Bradford: But let's start at the beginning. There are several different clans of Anopheles Mosquitoes. In the United States, we are primarily interested in the Anopheles Quadrimaculatus. Called Quad for short. They are so named because of the four dark spots on their wings. They are also known as the mosquito that stand on their head. [Anopheles. Culex] In this way, they differ from the common pest mosquitoes. Sam: Well, where do they come from? And, uh, how did they get their start? Bradford: Like chickens they start out as eggs - bad eggs. Sam: Gee, what a rotten start! Uh, can you show me some of those eggs? [Sam and Bradford walk into a pond] Bradford: This is just the kind of place Anne likes to lay her eggs. No rain-bows or tin cans for her. Other mosquitoes like these, but not Anne. She prefers a pond of quiet water with plants growing in it and lots of floaties to feed and protect her young as they develop. Some other mosquito lay her eggs on the water surface one at a time. Groups of these eggs may form patterns on top of the water. If we looked at these eggs under a magnifying glass, we see the floats along the side that holds the egg on the surface. After about 2 days, the eggs hatch. And out of the tips pop little larvae, commonly known as Wiggle Tails. We'll dip for some of these larvae and take a good look at them. [Bradford's looking in the water while Sam takes pictures] [Brushes. Breathing tube. Malaria Mosquito Wiggler] Bradford: Looking at the Malaria Mosquito Wiggler from above, we see the short breathing tube near the tail, the feathery hairs on its tail and along the sides of its body, and the brushes like a moustache on its face. [Malaria Mosquito Wiggler. Common Mosquito Wiggler] Bradford: When we look at the mosquito larvae from the side, we see that the malaria mosquito would float just right underneath the water surface. Wiggle tails are common mosquitoes that don't carry malaria, lie on an angle beneath the water surface and have a long breathing tube through which they take in air. [Anopheles larvae shown eating food particles] Bradford: When this little fella gets hungry, it turns its head and uses its moustache to brush the food into its mouth. It feeds on tiny plants and animals until it gets too big for its britches. Then, out it pops. It would cost a lot to keep this youngin' in clothes since it outgrows its suit 3 times in about 1 week. Many wiggle tails are killed by fish and insects. Those that escape turn into tumblers, which scientists call pupae. [Breathing trumpets. Eye spot. Anal paddles] Bradford: Tumblers don't eat, but they get air through their breathing trumpets. They detect light through their eye spot and can swim away from their enemies by the means of the paddles on their tails. After 2 days, the full grown mosquito struggles out of the tumbler shell and leaves the home in the water. When Anne emerges, her legs are shaky and her wings are wet. So she stands around on the water until she dries and then flies away. [Egg. Larva. Pupa. About two weeks. Adult mosquito] Bradford: Anne's childhood days are short. In about 2 weeks, she has grown from a tiny egg, through the stage of being a larvae, then a pupae, to an adult mosquito ready to begin her career of crime. Sam: Well, is it only, the uh, only female Anopheles that's considered dangerous? Bradford: It takes both to raise a family, but only the female can transmit disease. Sam: Well that's strange. Why? Bradford: The male doesn't bite. He prefers to suck the nectar from plants. But the female, she's bloodthirsty. Sam: Then it's the female you have to be on guard against! uh huh! Well, well, how do you tell the difference? [Papa. Mama] Bradford: Well, a female has simple antenna of feelers, while the antenna of the male are quite bushy. But you don't have to worry about recognizing the male, he won't bother you. Sam: Uh huh. Anne's dangerous because she gives people malaria, but, but how does she do it? Bradford: This is tied up with her family life, so lets go on with the story. Mating occurs within a few hours after the adult mosquitoes emerge. Males may be seen at dusk swarming around a bush, mound, or haystack until the females appear. Every year is leap year for them. Anne flies into the middle of the swarm and grabs herself a male and away they fly together. Time passes and Anne craves blood. Anne is developing eggs and before they can mature she must have a blood meal. She has her choice of cattle, horses, or people - people who are careless enough to let her get them. Her choice of time, or of attack, is during dusky hours or dark. Here's just what she's looking for. A house with a torn screen. It's an easy way for Anne to enter. [God Bless our Home] Bradford: A young girl is lying in bed, sick with malaria. She's a bit pale, but she has blood and Anne's too hungry to be choosey. She lights on the girl's arm at an angle and stands on her head as she places her beak, ready to strike. Now, her needle-shaped beak pierces the skin until she finds blood. [Saliva. Blood] Bradford: She pumps saliva into the blood to keep it from clotting while she drinks. She draws up blood until her tummy is full. Along with the blood, she swallows a lot of malaria germs, but malaria germs don't bother Anne. She's off to her hideout. A cave, stable, or some cooled off part of the house will do. For Anne is full and wants a place to rest and digest her blood meal. Here she is, full grown and stuffed with blood. [Bradford and Sam are at a swamp] Bradford: After resting, Anne lays her eggs in just such a spot as this and goes out again in the evening in search of more blood. This is when she does her dirty work. Remember where she got her blood before, from the little girl who had malaria? Inside of Anne, the malaria germs she drank with the blood have not been digested - but have been growing and multiplying. By now they have worked their way into her saliva. Farmer Jones and his family are resting after a hard day's work. They're all healthy now, but foolish to be out sitting in the evening, exposing themselves to the Anopheles mosquito. They won't stay healthy long with Anne around. She's got what it takes to make them sick. [Anne lands on Farmer Jones neck] Bradford: Anne bites, and when she does she pumps the malaria germs along with her saliva right into careless farmer Jones. In a few weeks he will be sick with chills and fever and won't be able to make that crop he's counting on. So Anne goes on, carrying malaria from the sick to the well. Sam: Gee, that Anne's some gal! I'd sure hate to run into her on a dark night, but wait 'till I write my story for Scoop Magazine! I'll expose her dirty tricks, I'll warn people about her! [Sam runs into Joe Wright's office] Sam: Boss, I got a great story and wait 'til you see the pictures I took! I got that Anne The Awful covered from every angle! I got her in her hideout, action shots of her doing dirty work ... Joe: Ok, ok, calm down and write it up. If it's good enough we'll use it. [Sam's at a typewriter typing with determination] Sam: Gee, I just gotta tell people about how she multiplies in pools and ponds and spreads malaria! [Printing machine whirls] Joe: Boy, this is a great story! When people read Scoop Magazine and find out how the Anopheles Mosquito carries malaria, steals energy and time and murders millions of people, they'll take action against this vicious criminal! They'll stop this winged menace from spreading her shadow of poverty, sickness, and death over the world! [The End. Edition I. MCWA-TE-4-012.0. Office of Malaria Control in War Areas. Atlanta. Georgia.]