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GM Mosquitoes – Djibouti
June 2 , 2024
30 days
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- Genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes were released in Djibouti, East Africa to fight malaria.
- They have released genetically altered male mosquitoes carrying a special gene that prevents their female offspring from reaching adulthood.
- The method targets female mosquitoes, which are predominantly responsible for malaria transmission.
- By reducing the female mosquito population, the scientists hope to significantly decrease the spread of the disease.
- Male mosquitoes do not bite and therefore cannot transmit malaria.
- The ‘Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Programme’ started two years ago to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive species of mosquito.
- In 2012, when Anopheles stephensi was first detected in Africa, Djibouti reported 27 cases of malaria.
- By 2020, the country’s malaria caseload had crossed 73,000.
- This is the first time a genetically engineered mosquito has been released in East Africa and the second time on the African continent after Burkina Faso.
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