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A historical experiment has seen the erasure of more than 80% of deadly mosquitoes.
Scientists have sterilized millions of killer mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, considered one of the most dangerous pests in the world.
The results of the experiment show that the Australian team now hopes to have a way to tackle insects that are spreading around the world with global warming.
Millions of people around the world are infected with mosquitoes each year. can carry dengue, Zika and chikungunya, among other killer insects
The Zika is an "urgent" threat to humanity, while the other two represent a "major" hazard, according to the World Health Organization. 20 million non-biting Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes for the experiment
The mosquitoes, which have white markings on their paws, were then infected with the bacterium Wolbachia, which makes them sterile.
The killer insects, which have white markings on their paws, have been infected with the bacterium Wolbachia, which renders them sterile.
Scientists released them at test sites near Innisfail, a town of about 7,000 in northern Quebec.
During three months, they mated with females who laid eggs without hatching – which caused the population to fall
The trial, described as a victory by the researchers, was funded by the parent company from Google. Alphabet
It was led by experts from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and James Cook University
Speaking of the study, Dr. Kyran Staunton, researcher involved in the James Cook University study, said: He added: "We are excited to see how this approach could be applied in other areas where Aedes aegypti poses a threat to the life and health. "
known as the sterile insect technique has been used successfully by scientists since the 1950s.
But it was the first time that researchers could have used it against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
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