A million-strong army of mutant mosquitoes has been created in the UK and this is not a new weapon at all
The idea of using mosquitoes to save humanity may seem at least extravagant. But as you know, British scientists have also solved not such global issues. A whole army of flying bloodsuckers is ready to embark on its noble mission this summer and help people get rid of the deadly threat.
It is well known that the mosquito is the most merciless killer, which accounts for millions of human lives. Malaria, Dengue fever and Zika virus - this is not a complete list of deadly infections carried by small winged beasts.
Biotechnologists from the UK decided to use the principle known from ancient times to defeat like-for-like. Scientists have managed to breed modified killer mosquitoes capable of eradicating the population of insects carrying pathogens of dangerous diseases. Part of the funds for the work of researchers, or rather, $ 4 million, was allocated by Bill Gates from his charitable foundation.
No, the new formation of mosquitoes will not attack malarial brethren and tear them to shreds. On the contrary, the task of insects bred in laboratories is to mate with as many of their counterparts in the wild as possible. The fact is that only males will be born from the union of genetically modified and ordinary mosquitoes.
This is a double benefit. Firstly, mosquitoes bite, and therefore carry diseases, only females, and secondly, the same-sex population is doomed to extinction. British geneticists are well aware that their development is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it will help to improve the health of many regions of the planet and save millions of lives, and on the other hand, it will deal a powerful blow to ecosystems.Mosquitoes and their larvae occupy an important place in the food chain and the consequences of the extinction of these insects can be unpredictable. Therefore, the experiment, which will begin this summer, will be conducted under the careful supervision of specialists and on a local scale.
The British, teaming up with colleagues from the United States, plan to test the mosquito army in swampy areas of Texas and Florida, where the situation on the incidence of malaria has always been unfavorable. Several million mutant mosquitoes are ready to begin their important mission to save humanity.
Keywords: Swamp | Infection | Mosquitoes | Fever | Malaria | Death