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Malaria is a vector borne disease that are transferred to humans through parasite infected mosquitoes. These parasites go through their life cycle be being transferred from mosquitoe to humans. Malaria is a potentially deadly disease to humans. The symptoms can include vomiting, fatigue, jaundice, seizure, kidney failure, headache, and diarrhea. More severe symptoms even include infected people slipping into comas. They are about 4 different parasite species that are passed along from mosquitoes to humans. This is what makes it harder for public health researchers to find a vaccine for this disease. The disease has been eradicated in a number of countries but is still prevalent in places in Eastern Africa. The eradication and decrease in the number of cases of malaria are mostly due to effective drugs and vector control. Two of the most popular vector controls are Insecticide treated bed nets and insecticides. Even though there is a decrease in prevalence due to evolution there has been mosquito’s resistance that could potentially cause the prevalence to rise again. That is why scientist are developing new ideas to completely eradicate Malaria everywhere.

Old Methods

Some previous methods for lowering the prevalence of Malaria are Bed Nets and insecticides. The use of Bed Nets is a way of preventing mosquito bights. Bed nets are still and will be effective because they do not involve killing the mosquitoes they involve preventing the bites themselves. Another vector control is insecticides. The problem with insecticides is they constantly have to be improved to prevent resistance. A popular insecticide that was used in the Malaria endemic was DDT. DDT was found to have health side effects to humans and negative environmental impacts and that is why people started using it less. There have been other pesticides, but the problem still remains of how to we eradicate this disease before resistance to the insecticide takes over.

Newer Methods

New methods for eradication Malaria go beyond insecticides and bed nets. The first method currently being developed is Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI). BTI is a larval control that is used to kill the parasites in their larva stages. The benefits to this method are lower risk of resistance because there are 4 different endotoxins to kill the mosquitoes making it hard to become resistant. There is also no know side effects or negative effects on people or the environment. The next method is Entomopathogenic Fungus that impacts the adult mosquitoes. This fungus will also make it hard for resistance to for because it is a fungus. Another method being developed is an insect killing virus that is species specific to the mosquitoes. This method positive include it is nontoxic to humans as well as it is easy to spread among the mosquito’s populations. The Newest and least researched and developed method are genetically modified mosquitoes that carry and effector gene that stops the development of the parasite. There have been no experiments yet to test the fitness of these mosquitoe. Positive are that you do not have the effects of what would happen if you not only eradicated Malaria but also eradicated the mosquito’s population in the process. The only method that is currently ready to be used wide spread is the BTI which has been used successfully others are in their advanced state.