Use mosquitoes to kill dengue fever

Malaysia is considering launching genetically modified mosquitoes as weapons in the fight against dengue.

Aedes mosquitoes cause many dangerous diseases.Photos: Wikipedia

In the first test of this type in Asia, there will be 2,000 to 3,000 Aedes males (dengue, jaundice and worms) released to Malaysia's two states in October and November, AFP said. good.

These male mosquitoes have been genetically modified so that their offspring die quickly, which helps reduce the number of mosquitoes in the environment, scientists hope. If the number of mosquitoes drops sharply, gradually the life of these dengue insects will die.

The World Health Organization estimates that every year, there are 50 million dengue infections in the world. In recent decades, the number of cases has increased due to the rapid urbanization, the development of transport means that the virus spreads easily.

The upcoming testing process is the result of Malaysian research since 2006.

However, some environmentalists do not support this project. They believe that transgenic mosquitoes are unlikely to prevent dengue fever, moreover, that may cause unpopular risks.

"Once you release the transgenic mosquitoes into the environment, you no longer have control over them and they can be troublesome , " said Gurmit Singh, director of the Malaysia Center for Environment Technology and Development.

Dengue virus usually exists in tropical areas, especially in urban and semi-urban areas. It is present in more than 100 countries, including Vietnam.