‘Evolving’ malaria-transmitting mosquito ‘to complicate disease control efforts’
October 22nd, 2010 - 2:05 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Oct 22 (ANI): The major malaria-transmitting mosquito species, Anopheles gambiae, is evolving into two separate species with different traits, a development that could both complicate malaria control efforts and potentially require new disease prevention methods, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found.
Anopheles gambiae is the most common vector of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, where rates of the disease are highest.
The researchers compared the genomes of two emerging species, dubbed M and S. Given that M and S appear to be physically indistinguishable and interbreed often, they were unexpectedly different at the DNA level.
They also were found to behave differently and thrive in different habitats. For example, in the absence of predators, S mosquitoes outcompeted M mosquitoes, but the outcome was reversed when predators were present.
As these two emerging species of mosquito evolve to develop new traits and behaviors, changes in disease transmission could result, the authors say.
This could complicate malaria control efforts, which currently are based on the mosquitoes’ patterns of behavior and vulnerability to insecticides.
Future research will further investigate these emerging species, exploring how they compete with one another in various habitats and the molecular basis of their evolution. The results will be used to refine existing malaria interventions and inform the development of new disease prevention strategies.
The findings were published in the journal Science. (ANI)
- Malaria causing mosquitoes evolving into new species - Oct 24, 2010
- Insecticide spray highly effective against malaria - Oct 13, 2011
- High-resolution microarray used to advance malaria research - Oct 26, 2010
- New mosquito type presents challenge in fighting malaria - Feb 04, 2011
- Virus may act as 'late-life-acting' biopesticide against malaria - Aug 21, 2010
- Monkeys main reservoir of human malaria in SE Asia - Apr 08, 2011
- Re-engineering mosquito's immunity to block malaria - Dec 29, 2011
- Boffins create malaria-proof mosquito - Jul 16, 2010
- Gene-based controls 'could stop mosquitoes spreading malaria' - Apr 21, 2011
- Bharat Biotech receives $4 million award for new vaccine - Jun 18, 2012
- Scientists find way to decimate malarial mosquitoes - Aug 09, 2011
- New strategies reducing malaria deaths in Odisha (April 25 is World Malaria Day) - Apr 25, 2012
- Meddling in mosquitoes' sex lives could help prevent spread of malaria - Dec 22, 2009
- Efforts to beat malaria may backfire, says experts - Oct 30, 2010
- Modified bone drug kills malaria parasite - Feb 28, 2012
Tags: disease prevention strategies, disease transmission, dna level, future research, genomes, habitats, human malaria, insecticides, interventions, journal science, malaria control efforts, molecular basis, mosquito, mosquito species, mosquitoes, national institutes of health, predators, prevention methods, sub saharan africa, vulnerability