Ashkan Pakseresht
GM fungus rapidly kills 99% of malaria mosquitoes, study suggests
Image copyright SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
By James GallagherHealth and science correspondent, BBC News
A fungus - genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin - can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests.
Trials, which took place in Burkina Faso, showed mosquito populations collapsed by 99% within 45 days. The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria. The disease, which is spread when female mosquitoes drink blood, kills more than 400,000 people per year. Worldwide, there are about 219 million cases of malaria each year.
