Fast breeding mosquitoes a global threat

“The concern is that we have these species spreading everywhere. Today the focus is on Zika but they can carry many different viruses and pathogens,” said Anna-Bella Failloux, head of the department that tracks mosquito viruses at France’s Institut Pasteur. 

Mosquitoes are advancing at speed, taking viruses such as dengue and Zika, chikungunya and St. Louis encephalitis, into territories from Europe to the Pacific. Aggressive action in the 1950s and 1960s, pushed them back for a while. Today, genetic modification, radiation and targeted bacteria are being considered. Trying to eliminate all mosquitoes, however, would make no sense since some aid in pollination.