Entomology Unit
Mosquitoes
Malaria is the most important insect-transmitted disease. It causes approximately 2 million deaths a year and there are about 300-500 million cases of clinical malaria annually (WHO). The causative agents for malaria are parasites of the genus Plasmodium that are transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. Most species of malaria parasites have now developed resistance to malaria drugs. Attempts to develop a vaccine have not yet succeeded. Traditional control of Anopheles mosquitoes through insecticides has not solved the problem. Approaches using genetic engineering are as yet unproven. A new project has been initiated to assess the feasibility of developing the SIT for mosquitoes with Anopheles arabiensis as the vector species.
- A possible solution: The Sterile Insect Technique
- Methods development
- Development of suitable field sites