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GM mosquitoes in suppressing dengue fever??. By Chieng Jia Jun. Dengue fever facts. transmitted by aedes mosquitoes Virus flavivirus It is also known as break-bone fever , since it can be extremely painful. Complications – D. Hemorrhagic F. – can be lethal
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GM mosquitoes in suppressing dengue fever?? By Chieng Jia Jun
Dengue fever facts • transmitted by aedes mosquitoes • Virus flavivirus • It is also known as break-bone fever, since it can be extremely painful. • Complications – D. Hemorrhagic F. – can be lethal • Untreated – Dengue Shock Syndrome • 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are at risk • estimates 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year • Occurs in tropic area • NO VACCINES!!
Symptoms • High body temperature (40’C or 104 F) • Rashes • Body and joint ache • Nausea and vomiting • Retro-orbital pain (pain behind the eye) • Etc.
Measures taken so far • Awareness campaign • Mosquito control • Enforcement • Fogging Disclaimer : taken directly from “Dengue fever in Malaysia 08/09” by FadhilaBintiMohdHanapiah &NadiahBintiSuffian
Introducing GM mosquito! • developed by UK biotechnology company Oxitec • The male of mosquitoes mates with female –larvaes die before to hatching - an extra enzyme(toxic) • Cannot bite • Die 3 days after release • Only mates with same species • Can fly up to 200m
Current updated reports • last year(2009) The Mosquito Research & Control Unit (MRCU) and OXITEC secretly released Grand Cayman, an island in the Caribbean Sea • three million male mosquitoes were released in the Cayman Islands this year in May and August • Reported to reduce 80% of total aedes mosquitoes population up till now
Updates in Malaysia • Malaysia was set to release GM mosquitoes in 2 states on 11th Nov 2010 and continually release it in the next couple of months
Problems • No control of mosquitoes after being released • Unknown long-term effect • Assumes absence of tetracycline • Female GM mosquitoes might accidentally be released • 3% of the offspring survived in lab test!!
My verdict? NO! Not yet! But its pointless to say that now anyway =.=!!
From the bottom of my heart~ Dekuju moc’ =) For your attention, even if you pretend to listen ;)
Reference • http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/ • http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/147700 • http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/11/gm_mosquitoes_wipe_out_dengue.html • http://maps.google.cz/maps?q=grand+cayman&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever#cite_note-53
http://www.justmeans.com/GM-mosquitoes-in-Malaysia/34203.htmlhttp://www.justmeans.com/GM-mosquitoes-in-Malaysia/34203.html • http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2010/11/gm_mosquitoes_wipe_out_dengue.html • http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/147602 • http://anilnetto.com/agrobusinessgm-food/gm-mosquitoes-to-be-released-in-malaysia-on-large-scale/ • http://www.sott.net/articles/show/218222-GM-Mosquito-Wild-Release-Takes-Campaigners-by-Surprise