Biological weapons on the contrary: scientists released mosquitoes with disease-killing bacteria from a drone

Researchers have tested dropping mosquitoes infected with bacteria that fight the disease from drones. Dengue fever affects 390 million people every year, according to the WHO.

Conspiracy theorists associate the spread of infected mosquitoes from drones with attempts to spread disease, but scientists decided to do the opposite. In the study, mosquitoes were infected with the Wolbachia bacterium, which blocks the virus that causes dengue fever.

This is not the first attempt to use mosquitoes to fight diseases. Previously, scientists genetically modified mosquitoes to prevent the malaria parasite from growing in their intestines. They are resistant to all four types of dengue virus and have lost the ability to find humans as a source of blood.

It can be a challenge to get modified mosquitoes into the wild. Currently, they are released by people directly in the field. This requires reaching remote and potentially dangerous regions. Drones are the best solution for this.

Researchers led by Ya Sun Lin of the World Mosquito Program (WMP), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, have used this approach. The drone delivery system developed by Lin and his colleagues is capable of carrying 160,000 adult mosquitoes. The insects are attached to the drone in a temperature- and humidity-controlled chamber to keep them healthy and calm during transportation. Along the destination route, the drone releases groups of 150 mosquitoes, spreading them over a large area.

During two field trials conducted in Fiji, Lin and his colleagues recorded that the distribution method was as successful as traditional drops. The controllers operated the drone from a safe, remote location rather than suffering in the jungle. The mosquitoes effectively spread the bacteria over an area of two square kilometers.

The spread of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia has previously led to a 77% reduction in the spread of dengue fever. The new method of fighting the virus allows the use of mosquitoes in larger areas. The study was published in the journal Science Robotics.

Source: New Atlas