Mosquitoes with genetically modified “toxic” sperm can kill females and prevent the spread of disease, researchers say.

Mosquitoes genetically engineered with toxic sperm could be a new weapon against tropical diseases. Australian scientists said after testing a new pest control method.

The “toxic male technique” aims to breed mosquitoes that express toxic proteins in their sperm, killing the females after mating.

Female mosquitoes are targeted only because they bite and drink blood, thus spreading diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Australian scientist Sam Beach Macquarie University said the method “can work as quickly as pesticides without harming beneficial species as well.”

“This innovative solution could transform the way we manage pests, providing hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” he said.

Early proof-of-concept experiments used fruit flies, a common laboratory species preferred for their short two-week life cycle.

Scientists have found that female flies bred with “poisonous” males have a significantly reduced lifespan.

The team will now test the method in mosquitoes, said researcher Maciej Maselko.

“We still need to apply it in mosquitoes and do rigorous safety testing to make sure there is no risk to humans or other non-target species,” he said.

According to the researchers, the mosquitoes need to be genetically modified so that they only release the toxic sperm after being released into the wild.

This can be done through “conditional expression” techniques that use chemicals or other biological triggers to turn specific genes on or off at will.

This would allow venomous males to successfully mate with females under laboratory conditions and produce enough viable offspring to scale up the technique.

Genetic engineering has been used for years to control populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Typically, these approaches slow reproduction by releasing swarms of male insects genetically modified to be sterile.

The research team showed that computer models of methods of actively killing biting females may be more effective.

The study is described in a paper was published Tuesday evening by the journal Nature Communications.

The mosquito has killed 50 billion people throughout human existence.

Africa suffers the most from malaria95% of deaths occur each year, and children under 5 account for about 80% of these deaths. The malaria parasite is spread to people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes and causes initial symptoms such as high fever, headache and chills.

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes cause millions of deaths worldwide each year from malaria, dengue fever and other diseases.

Eastern equine encephalitis the virus is also spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. last year, A resident of New York One person who tested positive for EEE has died, and in 2019, the CDC reported at least 15 deaths from the rare disease in the United States.