'Radiation miracle' causes infertility mosquitoes

The technique of making mosquito infertility is a technique to release male mosquitoes that have been sterile into the population.

They mate with female mosquitoes, causing female mosquitoes to produce ovarian eggs and thereby destroy mosquito populations. Many consider this an effective method to eliminate the spread of malaria in Africa.

The method of making the mosquito infertility (The Sterile Insect Technique, abbreviated as SIT) was meticulously introduced in Malaria Journal.

The first step of the SIT method is to create a generation of sterile male mosquitoes.

Dr. Mark Benedict, a researcher at the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) who is in charge of the project to control the spread of Anopheles mosquitoes in sub-Saharan Africa, said: 'SIT has a very important role to play. unique. As part of the prevention program for harmful insects, SIT can reduce greasy phenomenon with mosquito insecticides.

The effective SIT method will gradually reduce the number of insect populations and will, in theory, completely destroy mosquitoes that spread malaria in a certain area. '

The first step of the SIT method is to create a generation of sterile male mosquitoes (by radiography), dropping them into the environment to mate with female mosquitoes. Because female mosquitoes only mate once in their lives, they will not be able to produce the next generation. Thus, the mosquito population will gradually decrease.

Unlike when using insecticides, they will die simultaneously. However, there are still many children who survive because they are not exposed to the drug or the amount of medicine is not enough to kill them. These survivors will produce a new generation of resistant drugs, meaning that they are ineffective or must be used in higher amounts, causing environmental pollution.

Commenting on this new method, Dr. Benedict said: 'The SIT method appears to be highly effective on a large area, limiting pollution (indoor spraying and water treatment to kill larvae). ) due to insecticide use. Hope it can become a miracle to eradicate malaria for the poor '.