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Treating Mosquitoes May Be a New Way to Fight Malaria

posted by chromas on Saturday March 02 2019, @07:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the buzz-off dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956__

In the lab, treating female mosquitoes with an antimalarial drug stopped parasites from developing[$] inside the insects. Mosquitoes were exposed to the treatment when they landed on a drug-coated glass surface for as little as six minutes, comparable to how long mosquitoes stop on protective bed nets as they hunt for a meal, researchers report online February 27 in Nature.

[...] Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites and spread by the bites of Anopheles mosquitoes, is a flulike illness with high fever and chills. Without treatment, it can be fatal: In 2017, there were 219 million cases of malaria worldwide, mostly in Africa, and 435,000 deaths, mainly in children.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/treating-mosquitoes-drugs-new-way-fight-malaria

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2, Informative) by soylentnewsfan1 on Saturday March 02 2019, @02:10PM (1 child)

    by soylentnewsfan1 (6684) on Saturday March 02 2019, @02:10PM (#809137)

    As for the mosquitoes, developing resistance shouldn’t be a concern, Catteruccia says. In the study, treatment with atovaquone didn’t shorten the insects’ life spans or interfere with mosquitoes’ ability to reproduce. “The mosquito doesn’t care at all about picking up this drug,” she says.

    Resistance by he mosquitoes isn't the problem.
    Clinical implications of Plasmodium resistance to atovaquone [nih.gov]
    Evolution of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance [nih.gov]
    Drug resistance in Plasmodium from ACTs [nih.gov]
    The problem lies in the parasite itself developing resistance to all useful types of drugs.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @05:10PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @05:10PM (#809182)

    The solution is to not take any big government medicine. Right?!