WrlLLen by

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Spec|a||zed mosqu|toes may f|ght dengue fever (AUG 29 2011)

NLW Ckk SclenLlsLs have made a promlslng advance for conLrolllng dengue fever a Lroplcal dlsease spread by
mosqulLo blLes 1heyve rapldly replaced mosqulLoes ln Lhe wlld wlLh skeeLers LhaL donL spread Lhe dengue vlrus
More Lhan 30 mllllon people a year geL Lhe dengue vlrus from belng blLLen by lnfecLed mosqulLoes ln Lroplcal and
subLroplcal areas lncludlng SouLheasL Asla lL can cause deblllLaLlng hlgh fever severe headaches and paln ln Lhe
muscles and [olnLs and lead Lo a poLenLlally faLal compllcaLlon 1heres no vacclne or speclflc LreaLmenL
Some sclenLlsLs have been Lrylng Lo flghL dengue by llmlLlng mosqulLo populaLlons 1haL was Lhe goal ln releaslng
geneLlcally modlfled mosqulLoes lasL year aL slLes ln Malaysla and Lhe Cayman lslands
AusLrallan sclenLlsLs Look a dlfferenL Lack Lhey reporLed ln lasL weeks lssue of Lhe [ournal naLure
llrsL Lhey showed LhaL Aedes aegypLl mosqulLoes Lhe chlef carrlers of Lhe dengue vlrus reslsL spreadlng LhaL vlrus
lf Lhey are lnfecLed wlLh a parLlcular klnd of bacLerla 1hen Lhey LesLed wheLher Lhese reslsLanL mosqulLoes could
dlsplace Lhelr ordlnary couslns ln Lhe wlld Lhus reduclng Lhe number of denguespreadlng mosqulLoes
1he reslsLanL mosqulLoes have an advanLage ln reproducLlon 8eslsLanL females can maLe wlLh elLher reslsLanL or
ordlnary mosqulLoes and all Lhelr offsprlng wlll be reslsLanL 8uL when ordlnary females maLe wlLh a reslsLanL
male none of Lhe offsprlng survlve
lor Lhe experlmenL sclenLlsLs released more Lhan 140000 reslsLanL mosqulLoes over 10 weeks ln each of Lwo
lsolaLed communlLles near Calrns ln norLheasLern AusLralla sLarLlng lasL !anuary 8y mldAprll monlLorlng found
LhaL reslsLanL mosqulLoes made up 90 percenL Lo 100 percenL of Lhe wlld populaLlon
1he resulL ls a groundbreaklng flrsL sLep !ason 8asgon of Lhe !ohns Popklns 8loomberg School of ubllc PealLh ln
8alLlmore wroLe ln a commenLary accompanylng Lhe paper 8asgon who dld noL parLlclpaLe ln Lhe sLudy sald Lhe
nexL hurdle ls Lo LesL Lhe ldea ln areas where dengue ls spread consLanLly raLher Lhan sporadlcally as ln AusLralla
8esearchers also wlll have Lo show lL works agalnsL varled sLralns of Lhe dengue vlrus he sald

Sources http://www.Iloridatoday.com/article/20110830/LIFE01/108300304/Specialized-mosquitoes-may-Iight-
dengue-Iever