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Monday, February 21, 2011

Australia : Fighting dengue

An interesting science article from ABC Science in Australia :

" As Australia's dengue season escalates, we look at how science is trying to tackle rise of this potentially deadly disease.

They might not look like much, but the boxes of plastic containers filling the Eliminate Dengue project's white van could hold the key to stopping dengue.

Inside are a clutch of biologically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — a distinctive species of mosquito with white banded legs that is notorious around the world as the main carrier of the dengue virus.

As the dengue season escalates in Far North Queensland, the project's scientists are closely monitoring the small communities of Yorkeys Knob and Gordonvale where they are releasing 6000 modified mosquitoes each week until the end of March.

This research project is one of many international efforts that may eventually reduce the spread of dengue, not only in Far North Queensland, but the rest of the world."

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