‘Super’ mosquito spotted in Kenya
The malaria-spreading mosquito. The type A mosquito attacks earlier in the evening when more people are still outside. Photo|FILE|
What you need to know:
- Worryingly, the mosquito, known only as type A at present, has different patterns of biting people which scientists say will make it harder to control.
- Usually, mosquitoes attack late in the night when people are asleep. But the type A mosquito attacks earlier in the evening when more people are still outside.
- Ms Stevenson said her team found the species in the highlands of western Kenya where they set up outdoor and indoor traps.
London
British and Kenyan scientists have discovered a new type of “super” mosquito in western Kenya which they say does not behave like other mosquitoes.
Worryingly, the mosquito, known only as type A at present, has different patterns of biting people which scientists say will make it harder to control.
Usually, mosquitoes attack late in the night when people are asleep. But the type A mosquito attacks earlier in the evening when more people are still outside.
According to a report in the UK-based Independent newspaper, scientists have not matched the DNA of the new species to any existing mosquito variety.
The research
Ms Jennifer Stevenson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Independent:
“We observed that most of the mosquitoes we caught – including those infected with malaria – did not physically resemble other known malaria mosquitoes.
“Analysis indicated that their DNA differed from sequences available for known malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa.”
Ms Stevenson said her team found the species in the highlands of western Kenya where they set up outdoor and indoor traps.
She added: “The main difference that came from this study is that we caught 70 per cent of these species A – which is what we named them because we don’t know exactly what they are – outdoors before 10.30pm, which is the time when people in the village usually go indoors.
Charities have expressed concern that the “super” mosquito could make the battle to bring malaria under control even harder.
Mr Andrew Griffiths, of World Vision, acknowledged the findings were a setback.
