This "miracle" bacteria reduces mosquito borne diseases by up to 77%


 


When we think of insects and disease vectors our minds probably go straight to the mosquito. After all, mosquitoes carry the parasite responsible for Zika and Dengue fever which affect hundreds of thousands of people every year around the world. In actuality, we can't really blame all of these insects. Only about 4% of them are disease vectors so the majority are harmless for the most part.

That doesn't take away the sickness and death toll from these diseases however and scientists have long searched for ways to combat them effectively. And they've just gotten a lot closer by using a "miracle" bacteria.

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A recent groundbreaking study has shown that by introducing the bacteria Wolbachia into the mosquito can reduce the risk of them spreading the diseases by up to 77%. Wolbachia is not found naturally in the mosquito species that spread Zika and Dengue fever but is harmless to them when introduced. The bacteria is highly aggressive and locates itself in the same region of the insect where the concerning virus live and thrive. Therefore, they fight for resources which allow the Wolbachia to essentially stop the disease from being shared when an infected mosquito forages for a blood meal.

This method, according to the scientists on the study, is more effective and cost efficient compared to other methods such as using sterile mosquitoes to stop reproduction or using pesticides which are costly and can harm non-target species.

This could significantly reduce the number of cases each year and brings us one step closer to eradicating these diseases altogether. Click below to find out more.

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