Modified mozzies to stop Zika
28 October 2016 - 10:11
An army of mosquitoes will be infected with bacteria and released into Brazil and Colombia to combat the Zika outbreak. Scientists hope that the millions of modified insects will mate with local mosquitoes and spread the Wolbachia bug in wild populations.Wolbachia bacteria is harmless to humans but it stops mosquitoes transmitting the Zika virus. Zika has spread through 50 countries in the past year and is believed to be responsible for nearly 2200 cases of microcephaly - babies born with shrunken heads and brain damage.The first large-scale trials will be next year in Bello, in Colombia, and in the greater Rio de Janeiro area in Brazil.Scientists will monitor the locations closely for three years to see if the incidence of Zika falls. ..
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