The New York Times reports that “an army of young scientists and an army of volunteers” is “waging an all-out war against life.” The mosquito that threatens the health of the most people on earth: Mosquitoes. ”
They are testing new pesticides and creative new ways to deliver them. They peer into windows at night to watch for mosquitoes that prey on sleeping people. They are collecting blood from babies, motorbike taxi drivers, goat herders and their goats to track parasites carried by mosquitoes. However, entomologist Eric Ochomo, who is leading this effort on the front lines of global public health, recently stood in the wet grass with his laptop in hand and acknowledged the harsh reality: “It looks like the mosquitoes are winning.” Ta.
Less than a decade ago, humans appeared to have a clear advantage in the century-old battle against mosquitoes. But in recent years, that progress has not only stalled, but reversed. Pesticides used to spray inside homes and on mosquito nets to protect sleeping children since the 1970s have become significantly less effective. Mosquitoes have evolved to survive. Malaria infections and deaths have been on the rise after falling to historic lows in 2015. This summer, the United States saw its first locally transmitted cases of malaria in 20 years, with nine cases reported in Texas, Florida, and Maryland. “Where these mosquitoes have historically occurred, the situation is becoming new and challenging, and at the same time other places will face new threats due to climate and environmental factors.” said Ochomo.
Throughout human history, malaria has killed more people than any other disease. Until this century, the fight against parasites has been terribly one-sided. Then, between 2000 and 2015, widespread use of household insecticides, insecticide-treated bed nets, and better treatments reduced the number of malaria cases worldwide by a third. , mortality rates were reduced by almost half. Clinical trials have shown the potential of a malaria vaccine that could protect children, who account for the majority of malaria deaths. Its success attracted new investment and sparked talk of eradicating the disease completely.
However, although malaria deaths fell to a historic low of around 575,000 in 2019, they rose significantly in the following two years and in 2021, the last year for which global data is available. The number reached 620,000.
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