Are Mosquitoes Really Necessary?
WouterThousands of species of mosquito live around the world, though only around 100 are known to carry disease. They are important in the ecosystem, providing food for insects and birds. They also act as pollinators for plants.
They can be dangerous to humans, especially when they are infected with diseases such as malaria. Mosquitoes can be vectors for yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue, and other pathogens. Some of these mosquitoes can pierce human flesh, but the majority of them leave us alone.
The problem is that these diseases kill more people than any other animal. Approximately one million people are killed by mosquito-borne diseases every year. And that is only a fraction of the global population. In fact, half of the world’s population is exposed to risk of disease from mosquitoes.
There are several effective tools that can be used to limit the numbers of mosquitoes. These include genetic modification and RIDL. These strategies have shown promising results. However, they are not effective on a global scale.
The process of modifying mosquitoes is expensive and the effects on the environment and non-target organisms are unknown. It is unclear whether these methods can successfully eradicate mosquitoes from the world.
It’s possible that genetically modified mosquitoes could be useful as a tool for eradicating malaria. They are not yet able to compete with wild males.
But if the population of these species were reduced, the quality of life in countries where malaria occurs would improve. The economic burdens on the health system and schools would be lowered. And the lives of hundreds of thousands of people would be saved.
