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Sterile male mosquitoes did not bite or spread the disease, but when they mated with wild females, the eggs did not hatch. "The invasive mosquito Aedes aegypti is one of the world's most dangerous pests," said CSIRO's Director of Health and Biosecurity, Rob Grenfell, in a statement, describing the experiment as a victory
. the majority of mosquitoes do not spread disease, the three deadliest types of virus – the Aedes, Anopheles and Culex – are found almost everywhere in the world and are responsible for approximately 17% of infectious disease transmission. in the world.
The successful experiment offers a potential new solution against diseases that infect millions every year.
Many mosquito-borne diseases are difficult to treat. Some do not have effective vaccines, pesticides may not be viable and methods such as clearing stagnant water are ineffective against mosquito breeding rates.
The Experience
Although the process used in the experiment, called the Sterile Insect Technique, has existed since the 1950s, it has never been used for mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti.
This CSIRO-JCU experiment was aimed at eradicating these diseases. populations by working in partnership with Verily, a health research organization owned by Google, a parent of Alphabet.
Since Aedes aegypti is an invasive species native to Africa, eliminating them in Australia would not cause much ecological damage in the country.
The experiment was limited to northern Queensland at the moment, but Verily could organize further field trials, the organization said.
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