How to Use the New Mosquito Emoji

Thanks to the advocacy of CCP and others, the mosquito emoji is now available for you to text, tweet and more. Another great tool in our communications toolbox.

At last, a mosquito to ❤️.

Starting this week, the mosquito – the world’s deadliest animal – joins the ranks of the tears of joy emoji 😂, the kissing face emoji 😘 and the smiling poop emoji 💩 as one of 70 new emoji available on your iOS smartphone. It’s already available on Android. (Just download the latest operating system, which comes complete with a “bug” you’ll actually want).

At the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, we’re going to use the mosquito emoji to raise awareness in our social media and digital outreach around our work and research in malaria, Zika and other vector-borne diseases. Other organizations working in local, state and global health will likely use it in their campaign materials. Whether you work in the field of public health – or are just going camping or feeling “bugged” – there are many ways to use it. Read on and see #WhatstheBuzz about.

How will you use the new emoji? Here are some ideas!


Tweeting about research and academic papers is now so much easier. 👍



Remind your kids to use insect repellent.

Nagging goes down better with emoji, so these types of messages are best paired with the smiley face. 😃 (Check out the research!)


Is it mosquitos or mosquitoes?



Creative combinations.



Try out a limerick. 



Save energy – and characters.

Instead of eight whole letters (“m-o-s-q-u-i-t-o”), you now only need one keystroke .



Easily tweet about Zika, malaria, dengue and more at global health events.



Shorten your warm-weather correspondence.

Learn more about the emoji via this video produced by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

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