Ants kill the same species to prevent disease spread

Ants Lasius neglectus discovered and killed seriously sick animals to protect the herd from infection.

European and Australian scientists found that Lasius neglectus ants would eliminate those infected seriously in the herd, avoiding widespread epidemics, reported on January 9. Those killed are seriously ill and cannot recover.

Scientists publish research results in eLife magazine. They investigated the reaction of ant colonies with those infected with Metarhizium , a dead fungus that can spread among ant individuals.

Lasius neglectus annihilated fellow humans to prevent disease.(Photo: UPI).

"The ants can smell if the members of the group are so sick that they cannot be cured. This fungus will become a threat to even a single female, so they think of a way. The effective method is to kill infected animals that are too heavy, " said Christopher Pull, a researcher at the University of London.

Tests show that ant colonies kill their peers by injecting venom containing formic acid into them to eradicate both fungi and disease-causing organisms.

"First, ants still try to eliminate the fungus. They take care of the infected members by scrubbing their bodies to remove fungal spores. If they still don't work, they will kill the infected ones. The disease, " explained Sylvia Cremer, professor at Austrian Institute of Science and Technology.

Ants produce hydrocarbon organic compounds in the outer armor layer. These compounds act as a communication mechanism. The team found that infected ants will secrete more hydrocarbons, clearly showing their health status.

Cells in the human body also act in the same way. Infected cells emit chemical signals to help the immune system identify and attack.

"This is really an interesting finding. The ants in the herd work together like cells in the body. Healthy animals act as white blood cells, destroying ants that can become threat, " Pull commented.