The product was developed with beet juice.
- Malaria killed 630,000 people in 2020.
- A first antimalarial vaccine has just been approved by the World Health Organization.
In order to defeat malaria, Swedish scientists have made a fake blood, intended to attract and kill the mosquitoes that carry the disease.
A new liquid
Malaria is a parasitic disease. It usually manifests itself by symptoms similar to those of the flu, but can lead to serious complications or even death of the patient. “Globally, the mortality associated with this disease is only comparable to that due to tuberculosis or AIDS”, writes Inserm. “The immediate challenge is to expand access to effective treatments and existing means of prevention for populations living in regions where malaria is endemic”, adds the research institute.
To complete this policy, Swedish researchers have invented a new liquid, in which they have incorporated a specific molecule discovered in 2017: HMBPP. “If we add this molecule to any liquid, we make it very attractive to mosquitoes,” explains to AFP Noushin Emami, researcher at the University of Stockholm. “By combining the molecule with a tiny amount of toxin, mosquitoes swallow it and die” within hours, without even needing to use real blood to attract them, she adds.
“A bomb”
This process would also make it possible to avoid having recourse to pesticides to eliminate mosquitoes, and thus to destroy animals which have nothing to do with the transmission of malaria. “Pesticides kill all types of insects with which they come into contact. Here, even in very dense environments like the jungle or tropical areas filled with small animals, we choose the ones we want to get rid of”, explains Lech Ignatowicz, co-founder of the company Molecular Attraction which develops the product. “Instead of a carpet of bombs, it’s more of a bomb aimed at a particular target”concludes the expert.
