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To stop malaria, let mosquitoes breed
Published: 08 April, 2009, 13:12
Edited: 28 December, 2009, 19:40
Letting mosquitoes reproduce rather than killing them as fast as possible could be the key to controlling malaria epidemics, a paper suggests.
One of the biggest problems in insect control is that insecticides lose their efficiency very quickly as the insects mutate. In areas of intense spraying, having resistance is a huge benefit, and fast reproduction means the feature spreads quickly among the population. Today, most pesticides remain in use for just several years before the insects become resistant.
Science magazine reports that a paper by medical entomologist Andrew Read and his colleagues from Pennsylvania State University in University Park, says this can be prevented. The team modelled a situation where mosquitoes are sprayed with a slow poison to kill only old creatures.
By allowing the insects to breed, selective pressure favoring pesticide resistance would be lifted. But as the older mosquitos would still be zapped, they won’t be able to transmit malaria, which they start doing at the ripe old age of 10 to 14 days.
The study suggests the trick would delay the development of resistance by decades and still reduce the number of infectious bites by 95%.
The paper, published in PloS Biology journal, offers a "completely new way of thinking" about the resistance problem, says entomologist Bart Knols of Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
"You might be able to keep insecticides in business for 60, 80 years, perhaps forever," he says.
However, the idea of keeping mosquitoes alive instead of getting rid of them on spot may be difficult to sell to the people, he added.
07.04.2009, 19:23
Russia and Japan to look at the Sun togetherRussia and Japan have launched a joint program of observing the Sun, says a statement by Russia’s Space agency Roscosmos. |
08.04.2009, 13:34
Space crew and tourist back on EarthThe Soyuz spacecraft with the crew of the ISS expedition 18 and flight participant Chares Simonyi has safely landed in Kazakhstan. |
Any time man thinks he knows best and tries to manipulate our planet in an unnatural way Things will mess other things up because our planet has some sort of balance system that keeps nature in check except where man is concerned. When we learn to live with all the benefits and challenges of this planet we will know what heaven is and fighting one another for what we do not have will become unnecessary for there will be enough for everyone. If we are allowed personal freedom as long as our freedom does not interfere with the freedoms of others we will then be a successful society. Our society as is must fall because we do interfere with our own and other peoples freedoms, Question is are we going to be ready and learn from our mistakes or are we going to destroy ourselves by trying to get back the lies we have been living.