Bacteria Genes Can Take Out Zika & Dengue Carrying Mosquitoes, Study Says

A new study by the researchers at the Yale and Vanderbilt University indicates that bacteria can wipe out mosquitoes with Zika or dengue virus. This is making waves in the research arena because this holds a promise that it is a natural way of getting rid of the virus.

According to a report, the genetically generated bacteria can be the solution in taking down mosquitoes carrying the Zika and dengue virus. The researchers pinpointed bacteria that can work on making mosquitoes sterile. This bacterium is called Wolbachia and it has affected different insects. The way to do it is to introduce the male mosquito that carries the genes into a natural population. This way, once they mate with a female mosquito, their eggs die and the disease-carrying mosquito will die down.

A report indicated that Zika and dengue may lead to death and these are spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This type of mosquito does not carry the Wolbachia. The research indicated that the Wolbachia need to be inserted to the Aedes aegypti mosquito in order to control the population that carries the disease.

The female mosquito can lay 600 eggs in two batches during its life cycle. There will be millions of sterile mosquitos if the female is impregnated by a sterile male in three generations. This way there would be less Zika and dengue virus than can be spread out.

Meanwhile, Wolbachia can be sterilized using the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). The uninfected female's eggs die after infected male mates with it. However, when an infected male mosquito mates with an infected male, then the egg develops normally.

This new study can be a great solution especially to lessen the spread of Zika and dengue virus. There may be other ways to eradicate the ones carrying the disease; however, this is a natural way in doing so. It is still best to be careful especially when areas are prone to having the carrier mosquitoes.