There is no hyperbole in calling her one of the most dangerous killers in the world since mosquitos hold the title already for causing the most deaths in humans. Of the species of mosquito, this specimen from Aedes aegypti represents one of the most dangerous due to the number of diseases it may carry which includes Zika Virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, and multiple others.
Note: she is charged rather than he because it's the female mosquitos who are the bloodsuckers.
The species is recognized by the characteristic white dots. When stung by one of these, it's not a matter of swatting it and forgetting about it.
The Zika Virus doesn't affect only the babies of pregnant women as it's now discovered the sting affects men as well. (Science Daily: Zika infection causes reduced fertility, low testosterone in male mice)
She's coming for you, Dagwood, and, what's more, she's coming for your gonads. Do we have your attention now? Check the article and you will discover this isn't clickbait and these bugs are really dangerous.
Multiple lines of research are investigating the options for genetic combat with mosquitos and one has been trying to validate whether it's possible to use genetics to make them sting other organisms instead. That may sound like silly science but it's real and there's a valid basis for pursuing it. In sum, this represents one of multiple forms of GMO combat against mosquitos. (Ithaka: Telling Malaria Mosquitos to Bite Cows Instead)
Another type of GMO combat involves a different modification to the genome for the mosquito so the progeny from any mating will not survive. Russia Today gives us one of the most spectacularly frivolous headlines to describe that process. (RT: GMO mosquitoes will have sex with their cousins… then kill them)
Ed: how Fox News ... pfft.
Yes but the article has real content.
Some may recognize from the description in the RT article an infection of mosquitos by Wolbachia which has much the same effect. (Ithaka: Wolbachia, the Bacteria You May Come to Love)
Wolbachia is a common bacteria which results in the death of all male offspring and infection of all female offspring so it's almost unstoppable in attacking them. (WIKI: Wolbachia)
There has long been high interest in mosquito research here at Ithaka because they're so incredibly deadly and they kill more people before breakfast than terrorists will manage all day. That the danger is not so high in America gives a false illusion of immunity but the arrival of the Zika Virus is changing that perspective and hence an increased urgency for combat.
There's no need to quote horror statistics from Third World countries to demonstrate the threat from mosquitos and that could backfire in terms of creating contempt for the numbers and thus rejection of the idea. We have no interest in the Fear Factor but rather we want to hear solutions and the GMO approach is getting the most attention of late, largely due to the inadequacy and potential side effects of large-scale spraying programs which try to eliminate them altogether.
Florida has revealed widespread resistance to use of GMO solutions for mosquito combat and those perceptions of personal danger to the people need to be assuaged by better presentation of the information which hopefully will bring the needed understanding. This is part of the Ithaka effort toward it and, sure, it's another bleedin' PSA but we're feeling this one. We're not much concerned about terrorists but we're a'fearin' the bugs since they can hurt us bad.
GMO looks like a solid way to fight back so we want to see it happening just as is noted in the RT article above with the preparation of pools of millions of GMO mosquitos to use at a global level with United Nations support. Now that's more like it.
4 comments:
Funny how mosquitos were a source of research when they were biting dark skins in third world countries.
But now that they cross over into white nations it becomes an all out war.
Just like wars in Africa are not that important til whites dies.
Or black on black crime doesnt matter unless the police are involved
It's a fair point but it's not at all funny. I'll take the shot as a bleeding heart who has shown exactly the behavior you describe and I'm not defensive about it since my perception is the interest in it has shifted from it may bite anyone else to now it may bite me. I don't see that response as particularly racist but there's a larger one for failing to address any aspect of problems anywhere in the Third World which seems highly racist overall.
They make product called the Mosquito Magnet. I bought some years ago when West Nile came up. I bought them because local stores stocked t h em but noone bought them. So I icked them up on clearance for pennies on the dollar.
They work from propane heat and pheromones. I am glad to say I am about mosquito free most of the year if I keep them running. But I do it not out of worry about the diseases they carry I just dont like scratching thier bites
I'm still much more concerned about spiders than skeeters but this Zika is a bitch and West Nile didn't get me rattled so much but Zika seems to move fast even when the same bug carries it. Unknown why that perception of moving faster but it exists.
Use of a pheromone is concerning due to the Japanese Beetle Principle in which I think I was successful at establishing the garden as the Japanese Beetle headquarters, maybe for the world. Of all the potential solutions, I like the Wolbachia one the first and alternative GMO after that.
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