Genetically modified mosquitoes containing “toxic” semen could kill females and limit the spread of the disease to humans, researchers said.

Genetically modified mosquitoes containing toxic semen could be a new weapon against tropical diseases Australian scientists said After trying the new method of pest control.

The “toxic male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that secrete toxic proteins into their semen, killing females after mating.

Female mosquitoes are targeted because they only bite and drink blood, thus spreading diseases such as malaria and Dengue fever.

Scientist Sam Beach from Australia Macquarie University The method “can work as quickly as insecticides without also harming beneficial species,” he said.

“This innovative solution could change the way we manage pests, providing hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” Beach said.

The first proof-of-concept experiments used fruit flies, a common laboratory species favored for their short two-week life cycle.

The scientists found that female flies that bred with “toxic” males had a much shorter lifespan.

Researcher Maciej Maselko said the team will now try this method on mosquitoes.

“We still need to apply it to mosquitoes and conduct rigorous safety testing to ensure there are no risks to humans or other non-target species,” he said.

The researchers said that mosquitoes need to be genetically modified so that they do not secrete toxic semen until they are released into the wild.

This can be done through so-called “conditional expression” techniques, which use chemicals or other biological stimuli to turn specific genes on or off at will.

This would allow toxic males to successfully mate with females in laboratory conditions, and produce enough viable offspring to scale up the technique.

Genetic engineering has been used for years to control populations of mosquitoes that spread diseases.

Typically, these methods slow reproduction by releasing hordes of male insects genetically engineered to be sterile.

The research team said computer models showed that techniques for killing female rodents could be much more effective.

The research was explained in A Published paper By the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on Tuesday evening.

the Mosquitoes have killed up to 50 billion people Throughout human existence.

Africa bears the brunt of malaria95% of deaths are recorded every year, and children under 5 years old constitute about 80% of those deaths. The malaria parasite spreads among people bitten by infected mosquitoes, and causes initial symptoms including high temperature, headache, and chills.

Mosquitoes are responsible for millions of annual deaths worldwide from malaria, dengue fever and other diseases, according to the World Health Organization.

Eastern equine encephalitis The virus is also spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. last year, A resident of New York People who test positive for EEE have died, and in 2019, the CDC reported at least 15 people in the United States had died from the rare disease.