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https://theconversation.com/artificial-light-may-become-a-new-weapon-in-the-fight-to-control-malaria-183654>
"The world has not yet won the war against malaria. While the total number of
cases has declined from about 81.1 cases per 1,000 population to 59 per 1,000
since 2000, there were still an estimated 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths
in 2020 globally.
Malaria remains a menace across Africa. The continent carries by far the
world’s largest disease burden: 94% of cases and 96% of deaths occur across the
continent. Alarmingly, children aged five or younger account for 80% of these
deaths.
There is no room for complacency. While vaccines look promising, there is still
a steady rise of antimalarial drug resistance, especially in East Africa. The
parasites are evolving mutations which allow them to escape routine diagnosis.
The mosquitoes are also evolving increased resistance to insecticides.
This situation underscores the need for sharpening the multiple vector control
options, and exploring new strategies.
My research explores one such potential strategy: the use of artificial lights
to trick malaria-transmitting mosquito species that feed nocturnally into
behaving as if it’s daytime. This may deter feeding, helping to keep people
safe from malaria-carrying mosquito bites."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
