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A new study has found that the type of mosquito that transmits viruses such as Zika and dengue can be reduced by eating flower sugar before blood.
The study, led by the University of Glasgow Virus Research Center, showed that mosquitoes aFor the Asian tiger mosquito or yellow fever mosquito, immunity has been boosted in its gut after feeding on sugar, which protects the females of the species from infection.
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Adult mosquitoes feed on plant nectar to build their energy, but they need blood to reproduce.
As a result, they transmit viruses, including the chikungunya virus, which is a common problem around the world.
It is not known why the sugar protects mosquitoes from infection, but researchers believe it may be partly responsible for the “high susceptibility and transmission of arthropod viruses by this species of mosquito.”
Dr Emily Bondville, molecular entomologist at MRC University, one of the study’s co-authors, said the findings underscore the importance of feeding mosquitoes sugar to reduce infection rates in the world. Overall, the results reveal the essential role of sugar diet in mosquito antiviral immunity, which in turn reduces the potential for the spread of arboviruses, which pose a major threat to humans.
In the future, this could help in the development and application of vector control strategies such as sweet baits, aimed at reducing the transmission of arboviruses.
The study was recently published in the scientific journal PLOS Pathogens.
Source: Daily Mail
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