Australian scientists have reported that genetically modified mosquitoes with toxic semen could serve as a new strategy in the fight against tropical diseases, following trials of this innovative pest control approach.
The “toxic male technique” is designed to create male mosquitoes that produce venomous proteins in their semen, which would kill female mosquitoes after mating.
Females are the target because they are the ones that bite and consume blood, thus transmitting diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
Scientist Sam Beach from Macquarie University in Australia stated that this method “could be as effective as pesticides without causing harm to beneficial species.”
