Helpful Mosquitos? by Elliana Zolper
A new health breakthrough will be coming to Brazil this year: ten types of new genetically modified mosquitoes will make it into the urban areas of several countries, where they will carry bacteria that will transmit from carrying diseases. The goal is that over time, millions of people will be saved from the deadly diseases mosquitoes carry. These mosquitos will be made in a factory and produce five billion mosquitos starting this year.
There's a rise right now of a disease called Dengue that's on the verge of creating an epidemic in more than one hundred sub-tropical countries. Half of the world is now at risk of getting this disease because it's such a lethal viral infection. Sadly, mosquitoes carry Dengue, as well as Zika, Yellow Fever, and Chikungunya, which are responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Dengue has no treatment other than scientists modifying mosquitoes to genetically not carry the disease. Symptoms of Dengue include muscle weakness, drowsiness, refusal of food, and vomiting.
A public health scientist and coordinator of the World Mosquito Program in Brazil says that they are releasing lab-modified mosquitoes every fifty to seventy meters. Brazil is doing this by driving around in vehicles and letting them out of the windows. They choose areas where there’s a major growth of wild insects. This, however, might not work because these modified mosquitoes are Wolbachia bugs which means they are prone to carrying diseases. This is bad, especially knowing that a heat wave is coming and these bugs will start to drop daily once the temperature hits 95 degrees. Overall, Brazil and other countries’ goals are that these modified mosquitoes will mate with other mosquitoes, limiting the passage of diseases.
There's a rise right now of a disease called Dengue that's on the verge of creating an epidemic in more than one hundred sub-tropical countries. Half of the world is now at risk of getting this disease because it's such a lethal viral infection. Sadly, mosquitoes carry Dengue, as well as Zika, Yellow Fever, and Chikungunya, which are responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Dengue has no treatment other than scientists modifying mosquitoes to genetically not carry the disease. Symptoms of Dengue include muscle weakness, drowsiness, refusal of food, and vomiting.
A public health scientist and coordinator of the World Mosquito Program in Brazil says that they are releasing lab-modified mosquitoes every fifty to seventy meters. Brazil is doing this by driving around in vehicles and letting them out of the windows. They choose areas where there’s a major growth of wild insects. This, however, might not work because these modified mosquitoes are Wolbachia bugs which means they are prone to carrying diseases. This is bad, especially knowing that a heat wave is coming and these bugs will start to drop daily once the temperature hits 95 degrees. Overall, Brazil and other countries’ goals are that these modified mosquitoes will mate with other mosquitoes, limiting the passage of diseases.