Mosquitoes Resistant to Pesticides, What now?

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Mosquitoes are notorious for their role in transmitting lethal diseases. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus both black and white colored mosquitoes are responsible for spreading Dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, while theAnopheles mosquito can harbor the malaria virus which leads to an estimated 660,000 people deaths every year.

The mosquitoes breeding process for the most occurs in standing water. Female mosquitoes plant eggs into a raft shape giving it the ability to float. Two days later they hatch into larvae that feed on microorganisms before turning into a pupa, a metamorphosis stage similar to the butterfly. The then adult mosquito waits for its wings to dry before flying. The breeding process can be prevented by removing standing water in place like barrels, old tires and buckets. Fish feed on mosquito larvae thus having a pond won’t be an issue.

Contrary to popular belief, only female mosquitoes extract blood for its nutrients. Mosquitoes in general feed on nectar from plants, helping them pollinate along the way. Its other environmental impacts include being a source of food for many birds, bats, dragonflies and spiders.

In a disease free environment mosquitoes are particularly harmless leaving only a trail of rashes and itches. But if an infected human enters that environment, then the mosquitoes living there might spread the disease. In most cases eradicating an entire species will affect the whole eco system. But some scientists say mosquitoes are the exception. According to the World Health Organization, a child dies every minute from malaria. And the role mosquito’s play of being a pollinator or food for insect eating animals can be fulfilled by another insect.

In sub-saharan Africa bed nets coated with insecticides called pyrethroids have helped shield inhabitants from mosquito-borne diseases for a decade. But now the mosquitoes have come back immune to the insecticides. Researchers have found a mutation that breaks down pyrethroid (an insecticide developed in 1970) making it no longer toxic.This is an example of pesticide resistance. When an assuring pesticide is introduced, its effectiveness is lost over time through natural selection. The pest with the most resistant genes survives and reproduces to pass on their genetic offspring and the cycle continues.

http://www.mosquitoreviews.com/mosquitoes-ecosystem.html

http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito-borne-diseases

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria

http://www.mosquito.org/life-cycle

https://cogito.cty.jhu.edu/43255/up-for-debate-should-we-eradicate-all-mosquitoes-from-the-world/

http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6880/20140225/scientists-discover-gene-makes-mosquitoes-resistant-ddt.htm

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/malaria-control