News Animals

Malaria mosquito dosed with disease-fighting bacteria

After thousands of tries, lab gets parasite-carrying insect to catch Wolbachia

BUILDING A BETTER MOSQUITO  An Anopheles stephensi mosquito (shown) can give people the parasite that causes malaria. A new study has infected this species of mosquito with bacteria that subvert the parasite.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

In a long-sought step toward building a safer mosquito, researchers have infected the insects with persistent bacteria that sabotage their malaria-causing parasites.