In the past, these scientists have developed a genetically modified malaria resistant mosquito, and now they've shown that that mosquito is a hardy mosquito.
And Dr. O'Brochta, what's so important about finding that this genetically modified malaria-resistant mosquito is a strong mosquito?
Their goal: to have a day when no human being has malaria and no mosquito on earth carries it.
But, more than a decade later, it turns out that quite a few countries severely affected by malaria still maintain tariffs on the importation of mosquito nets and other malaria-fighting products and drugs.
For example, a cheap, highly effective, timely--and adaptive--approach to malaria (and other mosquito-borne diseases) is available.
The vaccine is designed to help complement existing malaria control measures, like mosquito nets, in Africa.
Dr Pierre Guillet, of the World Health Organization Global Malaria Programme, said the mosquito population had proved itself very adaptive, and responsive to environmental change.
The conduit from infected chimpanzees to humans was most likely the mosquito, a common malaria carrier even today.
Nothing but Nets raises money for mosquito nets to prevent malaria in Africa.
Dr. O'BROCHTA: Well, because malaria is so dependent upon the mosquito for its transmission there are a number of ways one can think about attacking it as a problem.
Pepe told CNN pools of standing water are forming around water points outside schools, increasing the risk of malaria, especially for people who lost mosquito nets during the flooding and those who are now forced to sleep outside.
"Malaria and dengue fever are two of the mosquito-borne diseases most likely to spread dramatically as global temperatures head upward, " said the Harvard Medical School's Paul Epstein in Scientific American in 2000, in a warning typical of many.
He also says on Twitter he will donate 10, 000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day in late April if he beats CNN, and 1, 000 if he loses.
CNN: Ashton Kutcher challenges CNN to Twitter popularity contest
Kutcher had challenged CNN to the Twitter race, saying he would donate 10, 000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day in late April if he beat CNN, and 1, 000 if he lost.
The mosquito bites one person or animal with malaria, takes the parasite on board, flies off to another victim, bites and implants the parasite, which proceeds to multiply like crazy, sickening if not killing its victims.
Malaria cases, for instance, will increase along with mosquito populations, while food production in many developing countries will decrease.
The idea that helping mosquitoes, rather than destroying them, may be the way to eradicate malaria is pleasingly counterintuitive, even if it would mean more mosquito bites at night.
This particular mosquito work, I gather, was done with a malaria strain that affects mice, not humans.
"Ashton's 'Twitter race' is an amazing example of how we can leverage new technology to battle an ancient disease, " said Scott Case, CEO of Malaria No More, the charity expected to benefit most from the mosquito bed net donations.
"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, another popular Twitter user, also agreed Friday to make a donation of mosquito bed nets, which help prevent the biting insects from spreading malaria in tropical countries.
Final-stage trial data released on Tuesday showed it gave protection against clinical and severe malaria in five- to 17-month-olds in Africa, where the mosquito-borne disease kills hundreds of thousands of children a year.
FORBES: Science and Skepticism: Malaria Vaccine Successful in Trial Run
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