August 31, 2007

A fish may stop malaria

An excellent example of how nature can help in many ways has come about with a study into the Nile Tilapia a fish that is native to Kenya.

But there is no magic potion, the small fish that is around eight inches long has a secret weapon, it likes to eat mosquito larvae, and although this was thought to be the case. There has not been a proper scientific study made.

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology has teamed up with the US based College of Health Sciences, which is based in the University of California. The object is to gain some specific knowledge on exactly what the fish could do.

As part of the study, the fish were introduced to a pond that contained, the mosquito larvae (Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus) after just fifteen weeks the mosquito population had reduced by 94%, compared to a pond nearby with no fish.

Source [Sci Dev]

Filed Under Research