Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease
The African Hunter|Issue 107 - October/November 2016

Over half a century ago, the Zika virus was first detected in Africa.

I J Larivers
Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease

Its vectors are mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, which are distinguished by striking black and white stripes on the bodies and legs; uncharacteristically, they are diurnal and feed only during daytime hours. The Zika virus is not the only disease that is spread by Aedes mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are responsible for transmitting viruses that bring about dengue fever, yellow fever and West Nile fever together with many other diseases. These pathogens are viral and cannot be easily vaccinated against. The biology is also quite different to the spread of malaria, which is caused by a protozoan (single-celled animal) parasite. The one thing they have in common, however, is the mosquito vector, which in turn is an Achilles heel for the microbes.

In man, the Zika virus causes an illness known as Zika fever, which has been reported from a narrow equatorial region spanning Africa and Asia. In 2015, the virus was first recorded from South and Central America, having made its way across the Pacific. Symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever, though less virulent. There is a link to microcephaly in foetuses born to infected mothers. 

But, back to the mosquito. 

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 107 - October/November 2016 من The African Hunter.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 107 - October/November 2016 من The African Hunter.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE AFRICAN HUNTER مشاهدة الكل
The Tragic - and Needless - Deaths of Claudio and Max Chiarelli: Conspiracy Theories and Lessons Learned
The African Hunter

The Tragic - and Needless - Deaths of Claudio and Max Chiarelli: Conspiracy Theories and Lessons Learned

At around 15.30 hours on Sunday, 13 March, the well-known and well-respected professional hunter Claudio Chiarelli, holder of Zimbabwe professional hunter’s licence number 58 (1989) and his son Max died tragically - and needlessly - in a hail of gunfire in the Mana Pools National Park. Initial reports blamed poachers, but in fact it was blue-on-blue: euphemistically-named “friendly fire”.

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10 mins  |
Issue 107 - October/November 2016
What we can Learn from the 4 500 Year Old DNA of a Primitive African Hunter
The African Hunter

What we can Learn from the 4 500 Year Old DNA of a Primitive African Hunter

For the first time, the complete genome of a 4 500 year-old African hunter-gatherer has been sequenced from DNA recovered from a skull recovered from Ethiopia’s highlands.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 107 - October/November 2016
Just Exactly Who Was The Malapati Bull?
The African Hunter

Just Exactly Who Was The Malapati Bull?

The Malapati Bull, as I have chosen to call him until a more positive identification is made, was a large elephant which was shot by a German sport hunter, guided by PH Nixon Dzingai of Sengwe Safaris, on 7 October in the Malapati Safari Area outside Gonarezhou National Park.

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8 mins  |
Issue 106 - June/July 2016
Burkino Faso: An Adventure from Start to Finish
The African Hunter

Burkino Faso: An Adventure from Start to Finish

On January 18, 2016 there was a terrorist attack on the Splendid Hotel in a coffee shop in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou.

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 107 - October/November 2016
Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease
The African Hunter

Transgenic Mosquitoes Bred to Combat the Spread of Vector-Borne Disease

Over half a century ago, the Zika virus was first detected in Africa.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 107 - October/November 2016
Hunting The Situatunga
The African Hunter

Hunting The Situatunga

The hunting of the spiral horned antelopes is a noble pursuit of magnificent creatures regardless of the species, country or the environment. They're all incredible in their own way.

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5 mins  |
Issue 106 - June/July 2016