Study Finds New Way to Fight Mosquito-Borne Diseases

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – A research team from the University of California found that by deafening male mosquitoes, they can stop the mating process, which has a significant impact on the spread of insect-borne diseases.

The mating process of mosquitoes takes place in the air; The male mosquito chases the female mosquito by listening to its wing beats.

During the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the authors removed a single gene called trpVA that male mosquitoes use for hearing.

“You can leave them with females for days and they won’t mate,” said senior author Craig Montell, a professor of neurobiology at the University of California Santa Barbara.

Female mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of diseases to humans, and by preventing the mating process, the reproductive process will also be controlled.

The researchers used a CRISPR gene editing technique to remove the gene.

“If they can’t hear the females’ wing beats, they’re not interested,” Montell said.

Scientists expect the innovative method to help control the mosquito population.

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