How to wipe out mosquitoes and eradicate malaria? A mutant fungus may hold the answer
Scientists genetically modify fungus using poison from spiders and scorpions to reduce population of the disease-carrying insects
A new species of toxin-producing fungus created by scientists could be used to kill mosquitoes and help in the fight against malaria, according to a research paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Chinese professor Fang Weiguo, a microbiologist with Zhejiang University and one of the authors of the paper, said extensive field experiments carried out in Africa had produced positive results.
Though the toxin, which is similar to those produced by spiders and scorpions, is deadly to mosquitoes it is harmless to humans, said the report, which was published on Tuesday.
Once it comes into contact with a mosquito, the fungus releases spores that penetrate the insect’s exoskeleton and enter its bloodstream. These then release a toxin targeting the nervous system that either kills the host or renders it severely brain damaged and unable to suck blood.
China is home to several diseases that are spread by mosquitoes. Malaria exists along the Yangtze River, and outbreaks of dengue fever have caused widespread public concern in some southern provinces, Fang said.