Taking the fight against disease to mosquitoes
Taking the fight against disease to mosquitoes
Tags: Gene drive, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaGregory Devine, Setopati, 2024.
Scientists have a new weapon in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. They’re releasing male mosquitoes into the wild to mate with wild females, but there’s a sting in the tale. These males have been manipulated so that the offspring resulting from their pairings do not develop — they die before they can ever bite or reproduce. As a result, the entire population over the release area crashes and the chances of disease transmission diminish. It’s just one approach being tested to stem the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
