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A ‘bio-safe’ way to fight mosquitoes
News
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered a protein that prevents mosquitoes from hatching, thus taking a major step toward developing a “mosquito birth control” drug
Important facts
- Scientists selectively blocked the activity of the protein – which they named Eggshell Organizing Factor 1, or EOF-1 – in female mosquitoes
- After that the mosquitos laid eggs with defective egg shells, leading to the death of the embryos inside
Significance of the discovery:
- Developing drug targeting the protein could interrupt mosquito egg formation and reduce mosquito populations in areas of human disease transmission without harming beneficial insects such as honey bees.
Additional Facts:
Mosquito Threat:
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mosquitoes are one of the world’s deadliest insects
- Malaria, a disease spread by mosquitoes infected around 216 million people in 2016, killing 445,000 of them
- Other diseases spread by mosquitoes include Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, West Nile virus and dengue
