MOSQUITOES have genetically mutated to survive insecticide, scientists have found. Malaria -carrying insects which can resist the long-banned pesticide DDT have been discovered in Tanzania for the first time. Researchers from the University of Glasgow and Tanzania's Ifakara Health Institute warn that this could harm humanity's battle against malaria.
PhD student Joel Odero, the study's lead author, said: "The emergence of new resistance mechanisms could threaten decades of progress made in reducing malaria transmission and mortality." Researchers tested mosquitoes from 10 regions across Tanzania and found that some had gained "knock-down resistance" to the pesticide DDT due to a genetic mutation called 'L976F'. Those collected from the Morogoro region only died 68% of the time after being exposed to the insecticide - compared to nearly 100% for other mosquitoes.
Read more Health Their findings were published in Molecular Ecology. It is the first time malaria-carrying anopheles funestus mosquitoes have been found to have developed knock-down resistance to any chemical treatment. It comes after health officials last year warned that mosquitoes carrying deadly West Nile virus have developed immunity to some repellents.
The virus - which can cause fits and paralysis in severe cases - is spread by the Culex mosquito. Most read in Health After a season of extreme heat and heavy stormy created ideal conditions for the pest to thrive, health officials in the US reported last year tha.