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Scientists Are Turning Mosquitoes "Trans" So They Can Fight Malaria
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From gay polyamorous flamingos to a "half-male, half-female bird" sighting, Mother Nature has proven that she's pretty damn queer. But sometimes, scientists like to get in on the fun, too. It turns out that some are even using their talents to engineer "trans" mosquitoes (yes, really).
On October 5, the X account @Rainmaker1973 shared a video of a female mosquito attempting to bite a human hand. However, its blood-sucking attempts are thwarted because its proboscis — aka its needle-like mouth — could not break through the skin.
"Using the CRISPR technique, it's possible to genetically modify mosquitoes by disabling a gene in females, so that their proboscis turns male, making them unable to pierce human skin," @Rainmaker1973 explained.
Before we go further, a quick science lesson: According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR, is a technology that allows scientists to selectively modify DNA.
So why use this technology on mosquitoes? Well, malaria, which kills more than 600,000 people per year, is transmitted to humans by female mosquitoes belonging to the genus Anopheles, which, per the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, encompasses between 30 and 40 mosquito species. According to a 2018 study in the journal Nature Biotechnology, using CRISPR technology on female mosquitoes resulted in egg production reaching the point of "total population collapse" within 7 to 11 generations. In other words, this technique allows scientists to not only ensure that female mosquitoes carrying malaria can't spread the disease to humans, but that they can't reproduce in general. This CRISPR-enabled gene editing is just one of several techniques that researchers have used to fight the spread of malaria in humans.
So, sure, in a manner of speaking, scientists are doing their best to curb the spread of malaria by making some mosquitoes "trans." In addition to being a genetic achievement, @Rainmaker1973's viral video sharing the news also unsurprisingly inspired some excellent tweets.
"She strokin tryna wake it up OMG… hrt no joke," one X user tweeted.
"Mosquitoes pissing me off so I took out my crispr and gave them gender dysphoria," another joked.
The past few years have introduced no shortage of queer bugs, from fruit flies who were potentially turned gay by air pollution to cicadas who became hypersexual zombies after being infected with a sexually transmitted fungus. What's a few more trans mosquitoes?
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'Mutant' Disease-ridden Mosquitoes Which CAN'T Be Killed By Insecticides Discovered – & They Pose Risk To Millions
MOSQUITOES have genetically mutated to survive insecticide, scientists have found.
Malaria-carrying insects which can resist the long-banned pesticide DDT have been discovered in Tanzania for the first time.
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Researchers tested mosquitoes from 10 regions across Tanzania and found that some had gained 'knock-down resistance' to the pesticide DDTCredit: GettyResearchers from the University of Glasgow and Tanzania's Ifakara Health Institute warn that this could harm humanity's battle against malaria.
PhD student Joel Odero, the study's lead author, said: "The emergence of new resistance mechanisms could threaten decades of progress made in reducing malaria transmission and mortality."
Researchers tested mosquitoes from 10 regions across Tanzania and found that some had gained "knock-down resistance" to the pesticide DDT due to a genetic mutation called 'L976F'.
Those collected from the Morogoro region only died 68% of the time after being exposed to the insecticide - compared to nearly 100% for other mosquitoes.
Their findings were published in Molecular Ecology.
It is the first time malaria-carrying anopheles funestus mosquitoes have been found to have developed knock-down resistance to any chemical treatment.
It comes after health officials last year warned that mosquitoes carrying deadly West Nile virus have developed immunity to some repellents.
The virus - which can cause fits and paralysis in severe cases - is spread by the Culex mosquito.
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Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Culex mozzies have become increasingly resistant to the insecticides that communities use in mass sprays to try to kill the bugs and their eggs.
Dad fighting for his life after contracting 3 mosquito-borne viruses – single bite left him unable to move and speakThe dangers of mosquitoes
Mosquitoes can carry viruses which cause certain diseases like West Nile virus and the viruses that cause malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever.
The mosquito gets a virus or parasite by biting an infected person or animal, then transferring it to the next person through its saliva.
Mosquitos bite during both day and night, and they can live indoors.
There were more than 600,000 deaths from malaria in 2022, according to the World Health Organisation.
Malaria is spread by Anopheles mosquitoes, when they bite people to feed on their blood.
When the mosquitoes bite, they transfer the malarial parasites into the person's bloodstream, causing them to become ill.
Only the female mosquito feeds on human blood, however.
In exceptionally rare circumstances the disease can also be spread by blood transfusions.
You can take several steps to protect yourself from mosquito bites, including wearing protective clothing, taking preventative medicines and vaccinations, and using insect repellent.
Source: Mayo Clinic
Warning As 'suitcase And Airport Malaria' Fuel Spread Of Killer Disease Across Europe
MALARIA cases resulting from bites from infected mosquitoes that have been transported on planes are on the rise in Europe.
Cases of suitcase and airport malaria, also known as Odyssean malaria, have been reported among travellers returning from countries where the disease is established.
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Odyssean malaria cases are on the rise in Europe, with cases reported n France, Belgium and GermanyCredit: Getty
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Odyssean malaria refers to cases resulting from the bite of an infected mosquito transported by aircraft, luggage or parcel from a country where malaria is more prevalentCredit: GettyOf 6,131 cases that were reported in the EU/EEA in 2022, 99 per cent were travel-related.
Odyssean malaria refers to cases resulting from the bite of an infected mosquito transported by aircraft, luggage, or parcel from an endemic area.
Malaria was eradicated in Western Europe in the 1970s, but locally acquired infections are still reported sporadically every year in the continent.
Infections include those which are transmitted by a local mosquito after it has bitten an infected returning traveller, induced cases related to other means of transmission such as mother-to-child transmission, and Odyssean malaria.
In a systemic review of studies in Europe from 1969 to January 2024, out of 145 cases described from nine countries, 105 were classified as airport malaria, 32 as luggage malaria, and eight as either type of malaria.
Most cases were reported in France, Belgium and Germany.
The people infected either half resided or worked near or at an international airport.
And cases have been found to be rising with one-third reported over the last five years - even when air traffic declined during the Covid pandemic.
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For the cases in the review with a known outcome, 124 recovered and nine died.
Scientists reveal why some people are mosquitoes magnets and how to avoid the pestsPeople infected with malaria had a mean age of 37.9 years and were more likely to be male than female.
Patients who died were older on average, with a mean age of 57.2 years.
Similar trends were demonstrated in a retrospective analysis of surveillance and case investigation data in France on locally acquired malaria from 1995 to 2022.
Researchers found a total of 117 locally acquired malaria cases reported in France.
Symptoms of malaria to watch out for
Malaria is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It can cause severe symptoms and if left untreated, it can be fatal.
Symptoms may include the following:
These symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after you've been bitten by an infected mosquito.
Sometimes, symptoms may not occur until months after travel, and in rare occasions years.
If you've travelled to a country where malaria is found and have malaria symptoms, get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111.
Source: NHS
Locally acquired infections remained constant overall, with more Odyssean being reported since 2011.
Half of the patients were born in a country in Africa, where malaria is common, and the other half were born in France.
Most of the cases were reported in the region of Île-de-France.
The researchers have now advised strict enforcement of the disinsectization of aircraft to tackle the risk of Odyssean malaria.
They also recommended doctors consider the possibility of locally-acquired malaria for patients with an unexplained fever early, even if there is no travel history.
And would like to see more structured surveillance of malaria cases in Europe and the implementation of preventative measures.
Malaria is usually found in tropical regions including large areas of Africa and Asia, Central and South America, and parts of the Middle East.
It's important to check the malaria risk for the country you're travelling to before you go.
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Malaria can be life-threatening if left untreated and it's important you check a country's malaria risk before travellingCredit: Getty
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