Researchers at Harvard University suggest an innovative approach to combat malaria by administering drugs that clear malaria parasites from mosquitoes, instead of killing them. Current methods primarily focus on insecticides, facing limitations due to mosquito resistance. The team identified two effective drugs that, when absorbed by mosquitoes after a blood meal, eliminate the parasites completely. The goal is to integrate these drugs into bed nets, ensuring any surviving mosquitoes no longer transmit malaria, thereby significantly reducing cases and mortality, especially among vulnerable populations in malaria-risk regions.
We haven't really tried to directly kill parasites in the mosquito before this, because we were just killing the mosquito. However, that approach is no longer cutting it.
The researchers analysed malaria's DNA to find possible weak spots while it is infecting mosquitoes. They took a large library of potential drugs and narrowed it down to a shortlist of 22.
Even if that mosquito survives contact with the bed net, the parasites within are killed and so it's still not transmitting malaria.
Current efforts aim to kill mosquitoes with insecticide rather than curing them of malaria, a need that's growing due to insecticide resistance.
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