War against mosquito-borne diseases continues

Now, a team of researchers led by Michigan State University has discovered a second gateway that could turn the tide against the mosquitoes’ growing advantage. For many years, pyrethroid insecticides have been deployed in developing countries to fend off diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and more. “Pyrethroids are effective because they eliminate mosquitoes while […]

Now, a team of researchers led by Michigan State University has discovered a second gateway that could turn the tide against the mosquitoes’ growing advantage. For many years, pyrethroid insecticides have been deployed in developing countries to fend off diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and more. “Pyrethroids are effective because they eliminate mosquitoes while having few if any side effects on humans,” said Yuzhe Du, MSU electrophysiologist and one of the lead authors. “Our discovery of a second receptor in the mosquitoes’ sodium channel gives us a better understanding of how the insecticide works at a molecular level as well as could lead to ways to stem mosquitoes’ resistance to pyrethroids.”