New Way To Kill Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes Works On 2 Chinese Islands But Might Be Impractical For Larger Areas, Researchers Report

Associated Press: Scientists find new way to kill disease-carrying mosquitoes
“Scientists say they nearly eliminated disease-carrying mosquitoes on two islands in China using a new technique. The downside: It may not be practical for larger areas and may cost a lot of money. … For 18 weeks in 2016 and 2017, the team led by Zhiyong Xi at Michigan State University released [treated] male mosquitoes onto two small islands near Guangzhou, China, a region plagued by dengue fever. The number of female mosquitoes responsible for disease spread plummeted by 83% to 94% each year … No technique so far has had that kind of success, Xi said…” (Rehm, 7/17).

Newsweek: China: Scientists Released Millions of Infected, Sterilized Mosquitoes into Wild to Wipe Out Disease-Carrying Bugs
“…The approach involved two techniques: sterilizing female mosquitoes and spreading an infection among males. The findings were published in the journal Nature. … Other insects have been controlled by what are known as the sterile insect technique (SIT) and the incompatible insect technique, but these techniques haven’t been successfully used against mosquitoes…” (Gander, 7/17).

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