Bioengineering of malaria vectors, anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) as a control strategy: An overview

Abstract

Disease in any form is undesirable in any human population. Malaria is a communicable disease that is vectored by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is the leading vector transmitted disease in terms of the number of morbidity and mortality accounting for over 200 million cases annually. Several control measures have been employed by man over the years to control the vector which will in turn lead to the control of the diseases with the popular ones involving the use of insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying of insecticides. However, these control measures have their various pitfalls. The use of genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) through bioengineering may be a promising method of reducing malaria vector population in our environment. This process involves population replacement technique (PRT) and population suppression techniques (PST). With proper integration of GMMs into the already existing control measures employed in the management of mosquitoes, a remarkable decrease in the prevalence of malaria is envisaged.