Nothing But Nets

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++ MOSQUITOES ADAPT TO NETS IN KENYA ++

+ Nairobi, Kenya + Malaria-causing mosquitoes are changing
their feeding habits, getting their meals earlier in the
evening before people go to sleep under nets. Mosquitoes
are known to feed late at night but re...searchers say the
vectors are now feeding early in the evening, thereby
reducing the effectiveness of the nets. This change in
feeding time is yet another way the insects are
circumventing some of the latest technology that has
lowered the incidence of malaria in the country by 40%.

These findings are among the 800 studies on malaria which
will be presented next week in Nairobi at one of the
largest scientific conferences to be held over a single
disease in Africa. The Fifth Multilateral Initiative on
Malaria Pan-African Conference, organized by the Kenya
Medical Research Institute, is expected to attract over
3,000 scholars.

Because of the change in the mosquitoes' feeding habits,
researchers are calling on people living in malaria endemic
areas to use the nets in combination with a repellent to
reduce the likelihood of being bitten. According to the
study, an international NGO is planning to start the
distribution of highly subsidized mosquito repellents in
malaria endemic areas.

This new challenge comes as more evidence indicates that
the mosquito is increasingly developing resistance against
insecticides used in treating bednets, especially chemicals
derived from pyrethrum.

Interestingly, a study carried out in Kenya hypothesizes
that although the country has seen a dramatic reduction of
malaria in children under five years, the disease burden
may shift to older children. Researcher Caroline Gitonga
argues that younger children may not be building
significant immunity, which could make them soft targets
for the parasite later in life.

Source: Daily Nation
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