‘Super Mosquitoes’ In Parts Of Asia Have Mutated To Become Insecticide Resistant

Mosquitoes are evolving and humans might not be able to keep up. Over the course of the last few decades, humans have attempted to get rid of mosquitoes. 

Now, a study claims that “super mosquitoes” have evolved to withstand insecticides. In addition, scientists noted a high rate of mutations in a species known to carry disease.

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Mosquitoes that can evade insecticide

Scientists at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan studied mosquitoes in areas across Vietnam and Cambodia where dengue is endemic.

They found that mosquitoes now have mutations that give them strong resistance against common insecticides, a study published in Science Advances on Wednesday claimed.

Mutations were noted in about 78% of collected specimens of Aedes aegypti, a famous species that carries dengue, yellow fever, and Zika fever.

Also read: Your Body’s Smell Could Be Attracting Mosquitoes To Bite You, Finds Study

A certain mutation called L982W gave mosquitoes high resistance against insecticides in the lab, scientists found. This mutation was seen in almost 79% mosquitoes collected in Vietnam. In Cambodia, scientists found combinations of L982W and various other mutations that showed extreme resistance to insecticides.

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This mutation, so far, hasn’t been found outside of Vietnam and Cambodia but scientists say that it could slowly spread to other parts of Asia. If that’s true, this mutation could threaten various disease eradication programmes in Asia.

Also read: Mosquitoes Sniff Out Humans Even Without Smell Receptors, Finds Study

For mosquito-borne infections like dengue that don’t have a vaccine, prevention using insecticides like pyrethroids is key.

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This isn’t the first time mosquitoes have evaded human-made insecticides. Just in February this year, scientists found that mosquitoes are able to avoid pesticides that kill them.

What do you think about the evolution of mosquitoes? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. 

References

Jacobo, J. (2022, December 21). “Super” mosquitoes have now mutated to withstand insecticides, scientists say. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/International/super-mosquitoes-now-mutated-withstand-insecticides-scientists/story?id=95545825