An article published in Science Daily explains a recent study that was published in the journal Genetics, found new information of hybrid mosquitoes that may be resistant to insecticide and malaria infectivity. Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are responsible for most cases of malaria in Africa. These mosquitoes are more genetically complex than once thought due to interbreeding. The researchers from the study explain that mosquitoes are good at evolving. For the study the researchers collected mosquitoes within a certain distance to the coast, in four different countries. The mosquitoes DNA was observed and there were two major types identified along with a hybrid type. Each type’s whole genome was analyzed creating genetic profiles. These genetic profiles showed that the genomes for genetic variation are shared between the three types. It shows that they three types are as if they were a single species.In developing countries, mosquito borne illnesses, such as malaria, can be life threatening. Understanding the genetics of the mosquito can help researchers protect people from such disease.
Preventing malaria in developing countries, as well as other places in the world is a very important issue. Death from malaria can be prevented, but in many developing countries, people cannot afford to buy the medicine. The most deaths from malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Researching the DNA of mosquitoes is an important step in reducing deaths from malaria, because it may lead to a way to get rid of the disease all together.
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