The vector borne disease, dengue, has not only been wreaking havoc on India, but, it has also been affecting many other countries. There is no definite cure or medicinal drug for this disease. Thus, taking the severity of the illness into account, a team of scientists in China has been releasing sterile mosquitoes to fight dengue.
Guangzhou is a small island in southern China where these scientists have released over half a million sterile mosquitoes on board trucks from plastic pots. Xi Zhiyong, from Michigan State University has been heading this project. According to him, the families in Guangzhou have been equally cooperative and have welcomed the initiative.
The idea of insects being released in one’s area may not sound too good, but the main aim of this project is to dilute the mosquito population so that they do not carry the disease in the future. This method is one of the most innovative techniques to tackle the vector borne disease.
Last year, China witnessed one of the worst dengue outbreaks in two decades. The nation recorded around 50,000 cases, most of them being the Guangdong province. Dengue causes about 22,000 deaths every year worldwide, as no proper vaccine is available yet.
The Government of China has not yet approved the release of these genetically modified mosquitoes, but they have accepted the trial. The team plans to reduce the number of dengue-spreading mosquitoes and eradicate the problem to some extent.
Image Credit: ste.india.com
Story originally done by The Guardian
