Why Can’t Mosquitoes Be Eradiced?
WouterWhether or not mosquitoes should be eradicated is a topic of debate. They are a nuisance to humans, but they are also vital to many animals and plants. Some species would suffer greatly from a lack of mosquitoes as their primary source of food.
According to the World Health Organization, mosquito-borne illnesses kill over a million people worldwide each year. These illnesses include dengue fever, yellow fever, malaria, and Zika virus. Vaccines can help prevent mosquitoes from biting people who are not immune to these diseases.
However, eradicating mosquitoes would have other unintended consequences. Some of these consequences include the loss of the primary food source for many species of insects and lizards. Some species of salamanders and spiders would also lose their primary source of food. This could cause their population to decline.
Eliminating malaria-carrying mosquitoes would also reduce the burden on health systems. It would also save many lives. If a country is free of malaria, they could recover a portion of the loss in GDP.
But eradicating all mosquitoes could be impossible. There are only about 200 species that bite humans. The majority of these species live on most continents. And while killing them would seem like a major win for public health, there are many reasons why eradication is not the best option.
Genetic mutation and eventual eradication is a solution, but it is difficult to do on a global scale. It is possible to change the DNA of mosquitoes, but only one species at a time.
