As fall prepares to roll in, mosquitoes, summer's
scourge – particularly when they carry their
own "bugs," like
West Nile – temporarily fade from memory.
For some, things will take a little longer to fade.
CDC statistics for the US, for the year 2004
(to September 7), show that there have been 1,191 human
cases of West Nile and 30 deaths. Health
Canada statistics for the year 2004 (to September
3), show 17 human cases and no deaths (due, in part,
to the unusually cold, wet summer many areas have experienced).
But research published in the September 2, 2004 issue
of the journal
Neuron gives hope for itch-free and disease-free
summers in the future. Researchers have found a gene,
known as
Or83b, that controls the sense of smell
in fruit flies – and, probably other insects,
such as mosquitoes. The sense of smell is one way that
the insects detect food, mates, and egg-laying sites.
So of course, if the insects can't sniff out prey,
they can't bite it either.
As a result, researchers hope that future insect repellents
may be created to work by blocking the gene, thus stopping
the insects from sniffing us out.
Unfortunately, mosquitoes also hunt us by means of
carbon dioxide and body heat … Nevertheless,
I look forward to the thought of being able, one day,
to put a stop to my summer job as a free, all-you-can-eat
buffet.
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Article published on Sep 10
04 12:59AM.
