Scientist has discover a Microbe That Can Stop Mosquitoes from Spreading Malaria

Malaria is a life threatening disease it is typically spread through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.

More than 400,000 people are killed by malaria each year, most of them children under the age of five.

Though progress has been made through the use of bed nets and spraying homes with insecticide, it is widely agreed new methods are needed to tackle malaria.

Scientists have taken a different turn in finding a solution to eradicate malaria since malaria is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, so protecting the mosquitos could in turn protect people.

The team of scientist in Kenya and the UK discovered that a new type of spore forming single celled microbe found in mosquitoes, which they called Microsporidia MB has the amazing ability to stop the transmission of plasmodium falciparum the Parasitic Protozoan which cause malaria. The team says that the finding has "enormous potential" to control the disease.

What is this microbe?
The anti-malaria bug, Microsporidia MB, was recently discovered by examining mosquitoes on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. It exists in the gut and genitals of the insects. Microsporidias are fungi, and most are parasites.

The scientists could not find any of the mosquito carrying the Microsporidia that was still harboring the malaria organism. And lab research, published in Nature Communications, established the microbe gave the mosquitoes shield from malaria.

However, this new species may be beneficial to the mosquito and was naturally found in around 5% of the insects studied.

How does the microbe stop malaria?
The presence of the microbe in the insect can have a profound effect on the mosquito's metabolism, making it unhostile for the malaria parasite. Or Microsporidia MB could be grooming the mosquito's immune system, to enable it fight off infections.

Microsporidia MB infections seems to be life-long. If anything, the research show that they become more strong, so the malaria-blocking effect would be long-lasting.

When can this be used against malaria?
At least, 40% of mosquitoes in a region needs to be infected with Microsporidia in order to make a significant impact in malaria.

The microbe can be distributed between adult mosquitoes and can also be passed from the female to her offspring.

So, the researchers are investigating two main strategies for increasing the number of infected mosquitoes.

Male mosquitoes can be infected in the lab and released into the wild to infect the females when they have sex.

"It's a new discovery. We are very excited by its potential for malaria control. It has enormous potential," Prof Steven Sinkins, from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research said.

Whats the Next line of action?
The scientists are still carrying out plan to perform more tests in Kenya to understand how the microbe spreads.

The Microbe will not kill the mosquitoes, so it wouldnt not have an impact on the ecosystems that are dependent on them as food for survival.

https://www.buddiescent.com/2020/05/scientist-has-discover-microbe-that-can.html

Interesting.

Does that means I should expose myself to those blood thirsty mosquitoes in my room.
Those living are so obstinate . No matter the effectiveness of Sniper , they will resurface again

jidamsel43:
Does that means I should expose myself to those blood thirsty mosquitoes in my room.
Those living are so obstinate . No matter the effectiveness of Sniper , they will resurface again

Hahah
Well not yet, scientist are yet to release the microbes into the wild... it will take time before they will be able to release the quantity that will cover our country

Its a work in progress