Why Can’t We Get Rid of Mosquitoes?
WouterHaving a mosquito is not pleasant, but the reality is that mosquitoes are a part of the ecosystem. They are also a food source for many animals. However, mosquitoes are a pest to humans. They carry diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. They also affect pollinators.
Scientists have been working to develop a way to eliminate mosquitoes. One way is to introduce a lethal mutation into mosquitoes. This can be done in the lab. The mutation is created by breeding mosquitoes in water with a chemical. When the mosquito mates, it ingests the chemical and passes the mutation on to the offspring. The offspring then die before they reach the next generation.
Another way to kill mosquitoes is to replace them with an insect that would not carry diseases. This is known as a “specicide.” But biologist Olivia Judson says that this would decrease the genetic diversity of the mosquito family by about 1%. It would also affect other insects in the ecosystem.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, and Zika. The disease is spread through the mosquito’s salivary glands. The mosquitoes have adapted to live in urban areas. This means that in many countries, half of the population is at risk of mosquito-borne disease.
Some scientists are looking at ways to eliminate mosquitoes by modifying their genetic code. CRISPR is one method. It involves inserting a “marker” gene into the mosquitoes’ DNA. The marker gene glows under certain lights, allowing scientists to identify the mosquitoes.
