They're here depopulation Lab creatures released in California

[RodISHI]

The genetically altered bacteria does not die, but the eggs do.
Flipping the switch on controlling disease-carrying insects

If fish and birds eat larvae from or mosquitoes, does it pass on to them? Mosquitoes can and do spread disease to birds.

Does eradicating mosquitoes create a problem?

Wolbachia is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria which infects arthropod species and nematodes of most any kind. That bacteria is classified as Rickettsiaceae. It can transfer to mammals. It kills the male larvae but not the female larvae. Male–killing Wolbachia in two species of insect | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences

Rickettsiaceae - Wikipedia


CDC - Lymphatic Filariasis - Epidemiology & Risk Factors


Epidemiology & Risk Factors

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Microfilaria of Wuchereria bancrofti (CDC Photo; DPDx)

There are three different filarial species that can cause lymphatic filariasis in humans. Most of the infections worldwide are caused by Wuchereria bancrofti. In Asia, the disease can also be caused by Brugia malayi and Brugia timori.

The infection spreads from person to person by mosquito bites. The adult worm lives in the human lymph vessels, mates, and produces millions of microscopic worms, also known as microfilariae. Microfilariae circulate in the person's blood and infect the mosquito when it bites a person who is infected. Microfilariae grow and develop in the mosquito. When the mosquito bites another person, the larval worms pass from the mosquito into the human skin, and travel to the lymph vessels. They grow into adult worms, a process that takes 6 months or more. An adult worm lives for about 5–7 years. The adult worms mate and release millions of microfilariae into the blood. People with microfilariae in their blood can serve as a source of infection to others.

Microfilaria of Brugia malayi (CDC Photo; DPDx)

A wide range of mosquitoes can transmit the parasite, depending on the geographic area. In Africa, the most common vector is Anopheles and in the Americas, it is Culex quinquefasciatus. Aedes and Mansonia can transmit the infection in the Pacific and in Asia.

Many mosquito bites over several months to years are needed to get lymphatic filariasis. People living for a long time in tropical or sub-tropical areas where the disease is common are at the greatest risk for infection. Short-term tourists have a very low risk.

Programs to eliminate lymphatic filariasis are under way in more than 50 countries. These programs are reducing transmission of the filarial parasites and decreasing the risk of infection for people living in or visiting these communities.


Geographic distribution

The areas in red indicate the geographic distribution of lymphatic filariasis.

Lymphatic filariasis affects over 120 million people in 73 countries throughout the tropics and sub-tropics of Asia, Africa, the Western Pacific, and parts of the Caribbean and South America.

In the Americas, only four countries are currently known to be endemic: Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guyana and Brazil.

In the United States, Charleston, South Carolina, was the last known place with lymphatic filariasis. The infection disappeared early in the 20th century. Currently, you cannot get infected in the U.S. << that may change in California.

 

[Old Rocks]

If I'm not mistaken they tested this plan in some third world country and it was a resounding success with zero mutation post release (as the virus that renders the mosquitoes eggs infertal dies out after 24hours and has no opportunity to mutate.) Was on TV so my memory isn't as great, but as I recall there was something like an 80% reduction in mosquito borne diseases in the local population.

As an Alaskan, and while our mosquitoes do not carry diseases (too damn cold in the winter), I would be quite keen to wipe the fuckers out. My husband and I regularly spray so that we can actually go out in our backyard without getting eaten alive. I happen to be immune to the "itchy" part of being bitten, however, no one drinks my blood without my express permission and lives to tell about it...

The mosquito is the primary pollinating agent in the north country. Not a good idea to wipe them out.

 

[Old Rocks]

The genetically altered bacteria does not die, but the eggs do.
Flipping the switch on controlling disease-carrying insects

If fish and birds eat larvae from or mosquitoes, does it pass on to them? Mosquitoes can and do spread disease to birds.

Does eradicating mosquitoes create a problem?

First, there are several species of mosquitoes and this targets only one of them. Really, no problem created at all.

 

[RodISHI]

Apparently this is the variety also causes river blindness....
Wolbachia spp.

But this bacteria doesn't just affect bugs. It has been found that river blindness, prevalent in Africa and South America, is in fact caused by Wolbachia and not the parasitic worms that have been blamed in years past. Tests done on mice showed that rodents infected with regular worms did not exhibit severe symptoms, yet ones that received worms infected with the Wolbachia bacteria did. This is one case in which antibiotics are most likely going to be used to fight the infections.

 

[Penelope]

Since the Wolbachia bacteria has never been found in humans , birds or fish, why would the altered Wolbachia be transmitted to humans (via bite) or to fish or birds from eating mosquitoes . We have been eating fish for years.
Birds have been eating mosquitoes for years and they do not have the Wolbachia bacteria.

 

[Penelope]

The genetically altered bacteria does not die, but the eggs do.
Flipping the switch on controlling disease-carrying insects

If fish and birds eat larvae from or mosquitoes, does it pass on to them? Mosquitoes can and do spread disease to birds.

Does eradicating mosquitoes create a problem?

First, there are several species of mosquitoes and this targets only one of them. Really, no problem created at all.

So they must know that mosquitoes only mate with their species then as there are many kinds

We need more of the non biting ones:
http://www.mosquitoreviews.com/mosquito-genus-species.html

TOXORHYNCHITES

A few other minor genera live in the U.S. One of them is unusual: a mosquito that doesn't bite! Toxorhynchites doesn't suck blood. Its big larvae actually eat other mosquito larvae, while the adults live on nectar and fruit. We could use some more of them!

 

[RodISHI]

Since the Wolbachia bacteria has never been found in humans , birds or fish, why would the altered Wolbachia be transmitted to humans (via bite) or to fish or birds from eating mosquitoes . We have been eating fish for years.
Birds have been eating mosquitoes for years and they do not have the Wolbachia bacteria.

You obviously did not read this link....Wolbachia spp. But this bacteria doesn't just affect bugs. It has been found that river blindness, prevalent in Africa and South America, is in fact caused by Wolbachia and not the parasitic worms that have been blamed in years past. Tests done on mice showed that rodents infected with regular worms did not exhibit severe symptoms, yet ones that received worms infected with the Wolbachia bacteria did. This is one case in which antibiotics are most likely going to be used to fight the infections.

Worldwide onchocerciasis (river blindness) is second only to trachoma as an infectious cause of blindness.

 

[Penelope]

Since the Wolbachia bacteria has never been found in humans , birds or fish, why would the altered Wolbachia be transmitted to humans (via bite) or to fish or birds from eating mosquitoes . We have been eating fish for years.
Birds have been eating mosquitoes for years and they do not have the Wolbachia bacteria.

You obviously did not read this link....Wolbachia spp. But this bacteria doesn't just affect bugs. It has been found that river blindness, prevalent in Africa and South America, is in fact caused by Wolbachia and not the parasitic worms that have been blamed in years past. Tests done on mice showed that rodents infected with regular worms did not exhibit severe symptoms, yet ones that received worms infected with the Wolbachia bacteria did. This is one case in which antibiotics are most likely going to be used to fight the infections.

Worldwide onchocerciasis (river blindness) is second only to trachoma as an infectious cause of blindness.

Maybe we should treat black flies too. (No I did not see that article) but its well known that insects carry diseases, or
are you trying to say that mosquitoes cause disease due to the Wolbachia bacteria being transmitted to humans??

 

[RodISHI]

Since the Wolbachia bacteria has never been found in humans , birds or fish, why would the altered Wolbachia be transmitted to humans (via bite) or to fish or birds from eating mosquitoes . We have been eating fish for years.
Birds have been eating mosquitoes for years and they do not have the Wolbachia bacteria.

You obviously did not read this link....Wolbachia spp. But this bacteria doesn't just affect bugs. It has been found that river blindness, prevalent in Africa and South America, is in fact caused by Wolbachia and not the parasitic worms that have been blamed in years past. Tests done on mice showed that rodents infected with regular worms did not exhibit severe symptoms, yet ones that received worms infected with the Wolbachia bacteria did. This is one case in which antibiotics are most likely going to be used to fight the infections.

Worldwide onchocerciasis (river blindness) is second only to trachoma as an infectious cause of blindness.

Maybe we should treat black flies too. (No I did not see that article) but its well known that insects carry diseases, or
are you trying to say that mosquitoes cause disease due to the Wolbachia bacteria being transmitted to humans??

I am telling you that all all of the nematodes, parasites, and insects of all kinds and animals can be carriers. It is not only transferred to humans by black flies, other insects/parasites/biters/lice/mites/fleas/ticks/spiders can carry and transfer it too. Wolbachia was merely thought to be an insect and parasite cancer previously but the fact is humans/all mammals can be carriers and it transfers at the mitochondria/cellular/micro level in, by and through blood transfers regardless of the type of biter it may be.

 

[Penelope]

Of course one never knows the outcome for

Since the Wolbachia bacteria has never been found in humans , birds or fish, why would the altered Wolbachia be transmitted to humans (via bite) or to fish or birds from eating mosquitoes . We have been eating fish for years.
Birds have been eating mosquitoes for years and they do not have the Wolbachia bacteria.

You obviously did not read this link....Wolbachia spp. But this bacteria doesn't just affect bugs. It has been found that river blindness, prevalent in Africa and South America, is in fact caused by Wolbachia and not the parasitic worms that have been blamed in years past. Tests done on mice showed that rodents infected with regular worms did not exhibit severe symptoms, yet ones that received worms infected with the Wolbachia bacteria did. This is one case in which antibiotics are most likely going to be used to fight the infections.

Worldwide onchocerciasis (river blindness) is second only to trachoma as an infectious cause of blindness.

Maybe we should treat black flies too. (No I did not see that article) but its well known that insects carry diseases, or
are you trying to say that mosquitoes cause disease due to the Wolbachia bacteria being transmitted to humans??

I am telling you that all all of the nematodes, parasites, and insects of all kinds and animals can be carriers. It is not only transferred to humans by black flies, other insects/parasites/biters/lice/mites/fleas/ticks/spiders can carry and transfer it too. Wolbachia was merely thought to be an insect and parasite cancer previously but the fact is humans/all mammals can be carriers and it transfers at the mitochondria/cellular/micro level in, by and through blood transfers regardless of the type of biter it may be.

Its so far has been found to be safe for humans and humans do not inherit the bacteria, and in the mosquitoes which carry and spread the viruses , its ok to inject Wolbachia bacteria in the male to kill off the species of the mosquitoes , since Wolbachia bacteria protects the insects from viruses so they are not carriers.

Wolbachia

Wolbachia is a natural bacterium present in up to 60% of insect species, including some mosquitoes. However, Wolbachia it is not usually found in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary species responsible for transmitting human viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.

For many years scientists have been studying Wolbachia, looking for ways to use it to potentially control the mosquitoes that spread human diseases. Our research has shown that when introduced into the Aedes aegypti mosquito, Wolbachia can stop these viruses from growing inside the mosquito and being transmitted to people. This important discovery has the potential to transform the fight against life-threatening viral diseases.

Wolbachia is safe for humans, animals and the environment. It is a naturally occurring bacterium already found in the environment in many insect species. Two independent risk assessments have been conducted, both of which gave an overall risk rating of ‘negligible’ (the lowest possible rating) for the release of mosquitoes with Wolbachia

Alternative uses of Wolbachia

Other researchers are experimenting with Wolbachia as a means of suppressing Aedes mosquito populations. This approach involves the release of only male mosquitoes with Wolbachia. When these mosquitoes mate with wild female mosquitoes without Wolbachia, they are unable to reproduce.



The technique requires the release of a large number of male mosquitoes to reduce the overall mosquito population. As with insecticides, this technique would need to be reapplied over time as the population of mosquitoes gradually returns.



In contrast, the Eliminate Dengue Program's approach does not aim to reduce the overall number of mosquitoes. Our aim is to spread Wolbachia into wild mosquito populations to reduce the ability of these mosquitoes to transmit disease.

In contrast, the Eliminate Dengue Program's approach does not aim to reduce the overall number of mosquitoes. Our aim is to spread Wolbachia into wild mosquito populations to reduce the ability of these mosquitoes to transmit disease.


Wolbachia | Eliminate Dengue - A natural method to reduce the spread of dengue

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Debug Fresno will target the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit diseases like Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Aedes aegypti first appeared in the central valley of California in 2013, and since then has become pervasive in Fresno County. This study will be the largest U.S. release to-date of sterile male mosquitoes treated with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium, and will take place over a 20 week period in two neighborhoods each approximately 300 acres in size. When these sterile males mate with wild females the resulting eggs will not hatch. To measure our outcomes, we will compare the adult population density and egg hatching of Aedes aegypti in these targeted areas to two control neighborhoods. Over time, we hope to see a steep decline in the presence of Aedes aegypti in these communities.
Debug Fresno, our first U.S. field study

Yeah, what could possible go wrong with an experiment like that, right?

 

[Penelope]

Debug Fresno will target the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit diseases like Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Aedes aegypti first appeared in the central valley of California in 2013, and since then has become pervasive in Fresno County. This study will be the largest U.S. release to-date of sterile male mosquitoes treated with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium, and will take place over a 20 week period in two neighborhoods each approximately 300 acres in size. When these sterile males mate with wild females the resulting eggs will not hatch. To measure our outcomes, we will compare the adult population density and egg hatching of Aedes aegypti in these targeted areas to two control neighborhoods. Over time, we hope to see a steep decline in the presence of Aedes aegypti in these communities.
Debug Fresno, our first U.S. field study

Yeah, what could possible go wrong with an experiment like that, right?

Not much, but decrease spread of the zika and other viruses.