Mosquitoes are a major public health threat, transmitting diseases like dengue fever, Zika virus, and malaria through blood-feeding. They are considered the deadliest creatures to humans. In recent years, efforts to eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes have led to a novel approach: genetically modifying male mosquitoes to produce 'toxic semen.
According to a study published in Nature Communications, genetically modified male mosquitoes that produce 'toxic semen' could serve as a new weapon against diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
This method involves breeding male mosquitoes that carry toxic proteins in their semen, which kill female mosquitoes after mating. By reducing the population of female mosquitoes— the only ones that bite and spread disease— the technique aims to curb the transmission of illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever.
The researchers reported promising results from field experiments: 'All females that mated with males carrying the lethal gene died before reaching adulthood.' Since only blood-feeding females transmit diseases, reducing their numbers could significantly prevent the spread of infections.
Viewer Comments:
The world of Jurassic Park may begin.
Let’s hope this doesn’t lead to the next COVID-19.
There may come a time when we have to protect mosquitoes as an endangered species.
Source:
Defeating dengue with GM mosquitoes | University of Oxford
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