Malaria remains a major cause of death in developing countries. In Kenya, researchers have now discovered a way to immunize mosquitoes against the pathogen.
By Antje Diekhans, ARD studio Nairobi
They are the most dangerous animal in Africa. Mosquitoes, or Anopheles mosquitoes, transmit the causative agent for malaria – the most common tropical disease and still one of the main causes of death in developing countries. Around 400,000 people, mostly children, die from malaria every year, according to the World Health Organization.
Researchers have been trying to develop a vaccine for years – and have had some initial success. But scientists in Kenya have now discovered another way to curb malaria.
“We found this new microbe in malaria mosquitoes. It does not make the mosquitoes sick. But if they carry this microbe in them, they can no longer absorb others – that is, not even the pathogens that transmit malaria. Mosquitoes become so resistant towards malaria. “
How can the microbe be transferred to the mosquito?
Doctor Jeremy Herren works in a research institute in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. A team of scientists around him discovered the microbe during field trials on Lake Victoria. In the region in Kenya, a particularly large number of people contract malaria. The microbe, a unicellular fungus, could fight malaria naturally.
“We did two types of experiments. We examined thousands of mosquitos in nature. We again checked our results in the laboratory on thousands of mosquitoes. And we didn’t find any of them that were both the fungus and the malaria pathogen within itself. It’s a 100 percent blockade. “
The question now is: how can the microbe be transferred to mosquito populations? One way would be to distribute the spores with the food. Anopheles mosquitoes always need sugar and could therefore be lured to sweet feeding places that were prepared with the fungus.
“As an alternative, we could release infected mosquitoes, especially males. They cannot transmit the malaria parasite, but they could infect the female mosquitoes.”
Breed long-term immunized mosquitoes
Female mosquitoes that carry the fungus lay as many eggs as non-infected mosquitoes. They are very likely to pass the microbes on to their offspring. In the long term, mosquitoes that are quasi immune to malaria can be bred in this way. They would not be able to transmit the pathogen to humans in this way, says Jeremy Herren.
“In my opinion, the great thing is that once we have figured out how to distribute the microbes over a large area, this method can be successful in the short term. The fungus would spread by itself – hopefully over a long period of time.”
Mosquitoes would still rob many people of their sleep at night. But the pests would no longer infect anyone with the dangerous malaria pathogens.
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