Why Can’t We Eradicate Mosquitoes?
WouterThousands of people die each year from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. These diseases include yellow fever, Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Fortunately, there are ways to control these diseases.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been shown to significantly reduce mosquito populations. These mosquitoes can resist pesticides, such as DDT, and they are also resistant to malaria and dengue fever.
However, scientists have yet to come up with a solution that will eradicate all mosquitoes. While it may be possible to wipe out certain species, such as the Culex pipiens species complex, which spreads West Nile virus, there is no way to eradicate mosquitoes as a whole.
However, a new approach is being explored. Using genetic technology called CRISPR, researchers are working to make mosquitoes incapable of carrying disease. This would allow countries to recover the costs of malaria-related losses.
A group of scientists from Oxford University recently released genetically modified males of the Aedes aegypti species in the Cayman Islands. These males will never reproduce. This will ensure that there are no more male mosquitoes to carry malaria and dengue fever.
Although genetic modification of mosquitoes has made considerable progress, it isn’t enough to eradicate them completely. Some scientists worry that replacing mosquitoes with other insects could be worse.
Some mosquitoes aren’t even carriers of diseases. For instance, they are part of the diet of other insect-eating animals. They are also a source of food for pollinators. However, they are not a primary source of food for crops.
