Scientists enlist male mosquitoes in fight against disease

Scientists are using a novel method to battle Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Kearney, one of nine UC Agriculture and Natural Resources research and extension facilities across the state, houses a mosquito research lab led by UC Davis entomologist Anthony Cornel. Cornel and his staff are working with the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District to tacking Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which have plagued a southeast Clovis neighborhood for three years. Aedes aegypti are capable of spreading dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya.

The scientists are trying a novel control approach. They collected mosquito eggs in Clovis and shipped them to a laboratory in Kentucky, where thousands of harmless male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were bred. The insects were then dusted with a pesticide and released to mate with females in the infested area. The pesticide doesn't allow the female to produce viable offspring. When the mosquitoes were released, small cups of water were placed nearby to monitor activity. If the water contained pesticide from the mosquitoes, it would kill mosquitoes back in the lab.

“Two weeks ago, we saw really good activity, a lot of the water we brought back resulted in death,” Cornel said. “Last week's water, we didn't see much death, so we're not sure why.”

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