Scientists Deploy 'Mosquito STD' Fungus in Burkina Faso to Cut Malaria Mosquitoes

Researchers have developed innovative biological methods to combat invasive and disease-carrying mosquitoes, offering promising new tools in the fight against mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue. In Southern California, vector control agencies have successfully reduced populations of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito by releasing sterile male mosquitoes that mate with females but produce no offspring, leading to a population decline. Complementing this, a team including University of Maryland scientists engineered a sexually transmitted fungal infection that kills female mosquitoes—the primary disease vectors—after mating, providing a natural and self-propagating control method that circumvents resistance issues seen with chemical insecticides. These fungal agents specifically target mosquitoes without harming humans and leverage mosquito behavior to spread effectively, potentially overcoming challenges posed by mosquitoes adapting to traditional repellents and insecticides. Meanwhile, other research focuses on malaria prevention without killing mosquitoes by using compounds that kill malaria parasites but leave mosquitoes unharmed, preventing resistance development. Together, these approaches represent a multi-faceted effort to reduce mosquito populations and interrupt disease transmission amid growing resistance to conventional control measures.