Bacteria block blood-borne bug

Mosquitos, famously, top the list of the deadliest animals in the world. Now some new research suggests there may soon be another effective strategy to prevent malarial transmission - derived from a bacterium which itself infects mosquitos. Researchers at GSK have identified a naturally-occurring bacterium, Delftia tsuruhatensis, which appears to significantly reduce the growth of the Plasmodium parasite within the host mosquito, and also to inhibit transmission when biting. The scientists have also identified a molecule, harmane, which appears to be responsible for the effect.

Identification of the bacterium offers a natural biological route to reducing transmission, while harmane itself may be useful for incorporation into mosquito nets and so on.

A patent application has been filed to use of the bacterium in reducing malarial transmission.

Of course, malaria is not the only mosquito-borne disease, so the best strategy remains, as ever, to avoid getting bitten.

Mosquitoes only need to eat a little of the microbe to become colonized, and once inside the insect, the bacterium stays there, continually blocking parasite development... What’s more, D. tsuruhatensis doesn’t appear to affect the mosquito’s survival or that of its offspring—meaning the insects are unlikely to evolve resistance to it.

www.science.org/...