‘We need to keep the foot on the gas’

It was previously thought that mosquitoes would decline in areas with rising temperatures. However, a new study shows that they are adapting.

According to The Scientist, disease ecologist Lisa Couper from the University of California, Berkeley, and “her team have found that mosquitoes have the potential to evolve and adapt to higher temperatures on pace with global warming.” 

What’s happening?

Couper and her team used a mosquito that was common in the Western United States. This type of mosquito spreads heartworm to dogs. “They collected mosquito larvae from various tree holes in California and let the insects reproduce for two generations in the lab,” per The Scientist.

Some of the third-generation larvae were exposed to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), while the rest were kept at 22 C (71.6 F). While the mosquitoes exposed to higher temperatures had a significantly lower survival rate, some reached adulthood. 

They also found that larvae exposed to high heat were smaller, which is consistent with other research showing that animals exposed to high heat in the developmental stage have smaller body sizes. This meant the mosquitoes had a harder time dealing with the heat, which seems like good news. 

However, the team also studied genetic changes in the mosquitoes that lived to adulthood. 

According to The Scientist, “Structural changes, including chromosome inversions, where a piece of a chromosome breaks off and reattaches in the reverse orientation, are linked to mosquito climate adaptation.” They found many such changes and estimated that the rate at which the mosquitoes would evolve is faster than the rate of rising temperatures.

Why is mosquito adaptation concerning?

“These predictions are important for researchers to understand how warming reshapes the global map of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, and Zika fever,” The Scientist noted.

Couper said, “[This] really speaks to the fact that we need to keep the foot on the gas in terms of mosquito-borne disease prevention.”

According to Vector Disease Control International, the West Nile virus and dog heartworm are the most common mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, but dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika have also surfaced as threats to public health. 

What’s being done about mosquito-borne diseases?

The Pew Charitable Trusts stated that insecticides are the most common way to control mosquito populations. However, Florida has tried another approach: “genetically modified mosquitoes to drive out the disease-carrying insects.”

The Environmental Protection Agency said the public plays an important role in fighting off mosquitoes. People should remove standing water from around their homes and ensure that window screens and doors are in good condition. They should also wear protective clothing, such as long sleeves and pants, when entering areas with high mosquito populations.

More research is needed to understand how mosquitoes are adapting to rising temperatures. You can donate to organizations that support this critical research. 

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