PARIS: Mosquitoes may appear small and harmless, but scientists say they remain the deadliest animals on Earth, responsible for spreading diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. According to the research platform Our World in Data, mosquitoes cause around 760,000 deaths annually by transmitting illnesses such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus. Experts say mosquitoes account for nearly 17 percent of all infectious diseases worldwide, making them far more lethal than snakes, spiders or large predators. Scientists are also warning that climate change is worsening the threat, as rising global temperatures allow mosquitoes to survive in new regions and for longer periods during the year. Not all are dangerous However, researchers say not all mosquito species are dangerous to humans. Out of nearly 3,500 mosquito species worldwide, only around 100 bite humans, while just five species are responsible for nearly 95 percent of mosquito-borne infections. Hilary Ranson, a vector biologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said eliminating a few dangerous mosquito species could be acceptable considering the massive human and economic losses caused by these insects. Researchers say the disease-carrying mosquitoes have evolved to live very closely with humans by feeding on human blood and breeding near homes and settlements. Because of this, some scientists believe removing these species may not seriously damage ecosystems, as other, less dangerous mosquito species could replace them in nature. Still, experts caution that more research is needed before taking large-scale action. Dan Peach, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, said mosquitoes also serve as food for fish, insects, and other animals, while some species help pollinate plants. How to stop them?Scientists are currently testing several advanced technologies to control mosquito populations and reduce disease transmission. One of the most discussed methods is gene-drive technology, which genetically modifies mosquitoes so that harmful traits are passed to future generations. In laboratory experiments, scientists made female malaria-carrying Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes infertile, causing mosquito populations to collapse within a few generations. A project called Target Malaria, supported by the Gates Foundation, has tested the technology in several African countries. However, the programme faced setbacks after Burkina Faso suspended testing following criticism from civil society groups and online disinformation campaigns. Another promising method involves infecting mosquitoes with a bacterium called Wolbachia, which can either reduce mosquito populations or weaken their ability to transmit diseases, such as dengue fever. Researchers say the approach has already produced encouraging results. In the Brazilian city of Niteroi, the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes reportedly reduced dengue cases by 89 percent. According to the World Mosquito Program, more than 16 million people in 15 countries have benefited from the technology without any major negative consequences. Meanwhile, another research initiative called Transmission Zero aims at genetically modifying mosquitoes so that they can no longer transmit malaria. Despite technological progress, experts stress that there is no single &ldquo;magic solution&rdquo; to defeat mosquito-borne diseases. Scientists stressed the need for improving healthcare access, disease diagnosis, vaccination, housing, and sanitation in vulnerable countries.

Wildlife

Mosquitoes kill around 760,000 people annually through deadly diseases like malaria and dengue, while scientists worldwide explore genetic and biological methods to reduce infections without damaging ecosystems.

What if we killed all mosquitoes?

CAIRO: The World Health Organization has warned that infectious diseases are &quot;spiralling out of control&quot; in the Gaza Strip, with only 13 of the Palestinian territory&#39;s 36 hospitals even partially functioning. &quot;Whether meningitis... diarrhoea, respiratory illnesses, we&#39;re talking about a mammoth amount of work,&quot; Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the United Nations&#39; health body, told AFP in Cairo. A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has raised hopes of life-saving aid and healthcare finally reaching Palestinians in Gaza after two years of war, but Balkhy warned the challenges are &quot;unimaginable&quot;. &quot;We need more fuel to go into Gaza, we need more food, more medical equipment, medications, medics, doctors,&quot; she said in an interview on Wednesday, echoing demands by international leaders for Israel to allow in a massive increase of aid. WHO data shows there are only eight health facilities, all of them partially functioning, in Gaza City -- the territory&#39;s main urban hub. The organisation says the hospitals still standing are suffering dire shortages of medical personnel, who have themselves faced famine and Israel&#39;s relentless offensive, which has claimed nearly 68,000 lives according to the Hamas-run territory&#39;s health ministry. The UN considers those figures reliable. For Balkhy, when people talk about repairing Gaza&#39;s devastated hospitals, &quot;the question is how many of them are available for rehabilitation versus (having to) rebuild all over again?&quot; &quot;We&#39;re talking about billions of dollars, and we&#39;re talking about decades of work,&quot; she said, after the territory&#39;s healthcare was essentially &quot;dismantled&quot;. &#39;Very little left&#39;Since Hamas&#39;s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which sparked the war, Gaza&#39;s health facilities have suffered more than 800 attacks, according to UN data. &quot;There is very little left of the healthcare system. You have children that were born over the past two years, who many of them, I&#39;m assuming, have received zero doses of immunisations.&quot; The UN says nearly 42,000 people are suffering life-changing injuries, a quarter of them children. Balkhy called for patients to be able to once again &quot;access the West Bank and Jerusalem, so that they can get the care that is available right close by, and that&#39;s the place where they used to go for care&quot;. Israel has severely limited permits for Palestinians to leave Gaza throughout the war, making medical evacuations nearly impossible. Mental health needs, on the other hand, have more than doubled among the more than two million Palestinians trapped under bombardment for two years, according to the WHO. Over one million people require &quot;urgent support&quot;, but available care falls far short. &quot;We&#39;re really hoping that the peace is fully sustained, so that we can start,&quot; Balkhy said.

Middle East

The World Health Organization warns infectious diseases are "spiralling out of control" in Gaza, with only 13 hospitals partly functional. WHO says Gaza’s health system is near collapse after two years of war and over 800 attacks

Articles tagged with "Infectious Diseases"

What if we killed all mosquitoes?

Infectious diseases 'spiralling out of control' in Gaza: WHO

What if we killed all mosquitoes?