Will GM mosquitoes eradicate malaria?
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Science might just have discovered the magic bullet to eradicate the life-threatening parasitic disease of malaria. They hope to do this by replacing the populations of mosquitoes with GM mosquito that are equipped with a malaria-resistant strain.
A genetically-modified (GM) strain of malaria-resistant mosquito has been created that is better able to survive than disease-carrying insects. In laboratory tests, equal numbers of genetically modified and ordinary "wild-type" mosquitoes were allowed to feed on malaria-infected mice. As their numbers reproduced, more of the GM, or transgenic, mosquitoes survived.
After nine generations, 70% of the insects belonged to the malaria-resistant strain. To differentiate between the mosquitoes, they inserted the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the transgenic mosquitoes which made their eyes glow green. For resistant mosquitoes to be useful in the wild, they must survive better than non-resistant mosquitoes even when not exposed to malaria.
Malaria the malaise.
The malaria parasite enters the human host when an infected Anopheles mosquito takes a blood meal. Uninfected mosquitoes become infected with the parasite by biting infected animals. It is characterized by extreme exhaustion associated with paroxysms of high fever, sweating, shaking chills, and anemia.
It is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, Central and South America, Oceania, and certain Caribbean islands It causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths annually. Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds. It is the major cause of perinatal mortality, low birth weight and maternal anemia.
Chloroquine, the most effective anti malarial drug recently became ineffective when the mosquito Plasmodium falciparum developed resistance to it. Unfortunately, chloroquine-resistance is associated with reduced sensitivity to other drugs such as quinine and amodiaquine as well. This made the malaria problem more acute.
Our best cure against these resistant malaria parasites is a combination of drugs that includes a compound derived from artemisinin (a substance extracted from the plant Artemisia annua).
Genetically modified insects are insects that have had genes engineered into them or their symbiotic bacteria and hope to offer enormous benefits in protecting public health and agriculture. Their introduction into the environment can be a sensitive political, ethical, ecological, and economic issue.
However, there always remains an uncertainty about the lasting effects these insects could have on ecosystems, public health and food safety once released.
What dangers could GM insects pose?
• These insects are stronger than the naturally occurring mosquitoes and will probably overtake their populations.
• Their transgenic traits could spread throughout the insect population, potentially making pre-existing pest problems worse or creating altogether new challenges.
• The unintended consequences of enabling an insect to more effectively spread disease or even carry a human disease it was never before able to transmit.
As of now, these GM mosquitoes seem a ray of hope for those infected with malaria, yet a lot more testing needs to be done before these insects are released into the wild.
Moreover, the use of Genetically modified insects poses some hidden risks which need to be recognized and discussed. They need not be left to the inane superfluities of those profiting from the technology. For man is playing yet again with the natural order of nature. Have we not seen the blunders from many GM crops?
