All the Way Humans Try to Kill Mosquitos—and Why We’re Still Losing

For such a tiny creature, mosquitoes have caused humans untold misery for millennia. The insect, which measures no more than a few millimeters in length, has killed tens of millions of human beings by spreading deadly diseases like malaria and dengue fever with its bite. The Zika virus, which scientists believe may be causing severe birth defects in newborn children whose mothers had been infected, is the latest mosquito-borne illness to strike fear in the public as it explodes through Latin America and threatens the U.S. Read More: U.S. Launches ‘Full-Court Press’ on Zika Vaccine But if mosquitoes have been killing human beings, human beings have long been doing the same—with varying levels of success. Now scientists say new methods of genetically modifying mosquitoes may help humans finally win the war on the pests. New gene-editing methods already tested in labs can eliminate mosquitoes ability to spread disease, while others can keep the insects from reproducing. “We can build these things. It’s a question of what we want to do,” says Anthony James, a professor of microbiology and genetics at the University of California, Irvine. “We’re in a new era because we have these new tools.” Humans have tried to protect themselves against the scourge of mosquitoes for centuries. Ancient Egyptians are said to have slept under nets to avoid the insects, which feed at night. Native Americans applied mud and plants to their skin to...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized crispr gene editing genetic modification Infectious Disease mosquitos Zika Zika mosquitos Zika transmission Source Type: news