News Excerpt:
Under gene drive technology, female mosquitoes are prevented from producing new female offspring by releasing genetically modified male mosquitoes in the environment.
About Gene Drive Technology:
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Malaria is generally transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, as male mosquitoes do not bite.
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Under gene drive technology, female mosquitoes are prevented from producing new female offspring by releasing genetically modified male mosquitoes in the environment.
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This would lead to the depletion of female mosquitoes, thus bringing down malaria causes throughout the continent.
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“When the (gene-edited) mosquitoes are released in the field, they will spread across the entire mosquito population and cut malaria transmission right away.
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Gene drive Technology are selfish genetic elements capable of spreading into a population despite a fitness cost. A variety of these systems have been proposed for spreading disease-refractory genes into mosquito populations, thus reducing their ability to transmit diseases such as malaria and dengue fever to humans. |
About Malaria:
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Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite that infects a certain type of mosquito.
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Most people get malaria from the bite of an infective mosquito.
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Malaria can be a deadly disease if not diagnosed and treated quickly. Starting treatment as soon as possible can often prevent severe illness and death.
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In 2020 an estimated 241 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 627,000 people died, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa.
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About 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year.
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Symptoms:
Malaria symptoms range from very mild illness to severe disease and even death. Early Symptoms can include:
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Fever and flu-like illness
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Chills
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Headache, muscle aches, and tiredness
Malaria in Africa
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Africa shoulders the world’s largest malaria burden, with the continent constituting 96 per cent of the total 619,000 deaths worldwide in 2021.
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According to the WHO’s latest data, of those 96 per cent, 80 per cent of deaths occurred in children aged under five.
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Conclusion:
Despite the technology being touted as the promising one, health authorities around the world have pointed out ecological concerns that may emerge.Its impact on the ecosystem may never be predicted.“Every living creature, even if it appears dangerous or harmful to humans, fulfils important tasks in its habitat. The extermination or even manipulation of a species will therefore have consequences for the entire ecosystem.
