Cutting Mosquito Lifespans To Curb Disease

Researchers Use Parasite To Trim Life To 21 Days; Older Insects Spread Malaria, Dengue

(CBS)  Old mosquitoes usually spread disease, so Australian researchers figured out a way to make the pests die younger - naturally, not poisoned.

Scientists have been racing to genetically engineer mosquitoes to become resistant to diseases like malaria and dengue fever that plague millions around the world, as an alternative to mass spraying of insecticides.

A new report Friday suggested a potentially less complicated approach: Breeding mosquitoes to carry an insect parasite that causes earlier death.

Once a mosquito encounters dengue or malaria, it takes roughly two weeks of incubation before the insect can spread that pathogen by biting someone, meaning older mosquitoes are the more dangerous ones.

The Australian scientists knew that one type of fruit fly often is infected with a strain of bacterial parasite that cuts its lifespan in half.

So they infected the mosquito species that spreads dengue fever - called Aedes aegypti - with that fruit-fly parasite, breeding several generations in a tightly controlled laboratory.

Voila: Mosquitoes born with the parasite lived only 21 days - even in cozy lab conditions - compared to 50 days for regular mosquitoes, University of Queensland biologist Scott O'Neill reported in the journal Science.

Mosquitoes tend to die sooner in the wild than in a lab. So if the parasite could spread widely enough among these mosquitoes, it "may provide an inexpensive approach to dengue control," O'Neill concluded.

Theoretically, it could spread: This bacterium, called Wolbachia, is quite common among arthropod species, including some mosquito types - just not the specific types that spread dengue and malaria, the researchers noted. And Wolbachia strains are inherited only through infected mothers, with an evolutionary quirk that can help them quickly gain a foothold in a new population.

Next month, O'Neill's team begins longer studies in special North Queensland mosquito facilities that better mimic natural conditions to see how well the wMelPop strain persists as more mosquitoes are born, and what happens when they're exposed to dengue.

"By killing old mosquitoes, wMelPop could thus impact on dengue transmission," Pennsylvania State University specialists Andrew Read and Matthew Thomas concluded in an editorial accompanying the work, which they called "a major step."

It's possible that dengue viruses could evolve to incubate more rapidly if their mosquito hosts die younger, they noted, although that likely would be less of a problem than today's insecticide resistance.

Still, "determining whether it can remove enough infectious mosquitoes to be useful will be a challenge," the duo cautioned.

[inhaled_not]

How many mosquitios are there and how many Polar Beras are there? The mosquito population needs to be cut and the Polar Bear population needs to be enhanced.

Personally, as much as I dislike this position, I think it''''s too late for Poalr Bears in the wild. It''''s not possible to stop the ice melt each season in the Artic now.
Posted by HSinCO

The new Depression is here and states will not be worried about Polar Bears when they cannot afford fuel for their plow trucks. Ask California...lol

[hsinco-2009]

Ok now wait a minute, we freak out because the polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct, but they are happy about being able to make mosquitos extinct.

Posted by DebinOK1 at 11:34 PM : Jan 01, 2009
__________________

Having grown up in extreme East Texas, Beaumont-Port Arthur, I don''''t see a problem here with mosquitos becoming extinct. These things also carry canine heart worms, as well as malaria, dengue, and a host of other viral and bacterial agents.


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Posted by docpeter1953 at 08:35 AM : Jan 02, 2009


How many mosquitios are there and how many Polar Beras are there? The mosquito population needs to be cut and the Polar Bear population needs to be enhanced.

Personally, as much as I dislike this position, I think it''s too late for Poalr Bears in the wild. It''s not possible to stop the ice melt each season in the Artic now.

[incog-nito]

In other news, researchers have found that reducing people''s lifespans also has the benefit of curbing their chances of getting diseases.

[lochlan-2009]

Genetic warfare is just around the corner. We are going to be using viruses to attack people with blue eyes, or black skin, any gene we want to link onto.

[impeach___w]

I wonder if the bats are affected by the bactria. What will happen when thier life span is cut short? Will the mosquitos grow resistant?

My college tinkered with "Love Bugs" to control mosquitos in FL. The only problem is in didn''t work at all. It started with one week per year that the state was infested with love bugs. Now it''s twice a year and lasts for 3 weeks! Nothing can stop Them!

[docpeter1953]

Ok now wait a minute, we freak out because the polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct, but they are happy about being able to make mosquitos extinct.

Posted by DebinOK1 at 11:34 PM : Jan 01, 2009
__________________

Having grown up in extreme East Texas, Beaumont-Port Arthur, I don''t see a problem here with mosquitos becoming extinct. These things also carry canine heart worms, as well as malaria, dengue, and a host of other viral and bacterial agents.

[doubleecho-2009]

Tinkering with stuff like this, even if it "mimics a bacterial parasite", can have unforeseen consequences. We simply don''t have a good overall view of the complex inter-relations out there.

[troutfisher4]

Ok now wait a minute, we freak out because the polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct, but they are happy about being able to make mosquitos extinct.

Posted by DebinOK1


Read the article again, dufus !

[artorus]

If it saves lives, great. Just hope there isn''t some unforseen consequence to this.

[debinok1]

Ok now wait a minute, we freak out because the polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct, but they are happy about being able to make mosquitos extinct.

[Marie Zarankevich]

We have no idea what we are doing yet. -- In changing this one species lifespan, we may be changing things we cannot imagine. -- Foolish humans! -- Having power brings responsibility, not freedom to tinker. -- Give some more time to learning, before we go *** up more things than we already have.

[grammawhamma]

As long as it doesn''''t infect other insects that are a viable source of food for bats, birds, and other insect eating species that curb insects on the planet. Like bees.

Messing with Mother Nature can backfire...


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Posted by mahdeealoo at 07:40 PM : Jan 01, 2009


My thoughts exactly!

[itgranny]

I wonder if the same applies to west nile and heartworm in dogs.

[mahdeealoo]

As long as it doesn''t infect other insects that are a viable source of food for bats, birds, and other insect eating species that curb insects on the planet. Like bees.

Messing with Mother Nature can backfire...