Dengue fever is one of the most virulent mosquito-borne diseases afflicting the planet. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.5 billion people worldwide are currently at risk of contracting dengue, and the organization estimates that there may be 50–100 million new infections each year. However, The Associated Press reports that scientists are now releasing dengue-resistant mosquitos into Vietnam in the hopes of curbing the spread of the disease. The key is engineering the mosquitoes to carry Wolbachia, a bacteria that prevents dengue from being transmitted.
Wolbachia infects the cells of up to 70 percent of the world’s insects. Research has shown that it also prevents the replication of diseases like yellow fever,...
via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/5/5069586/scientists-release-dengue-resistant-mosquitoes
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