Mosquito Saliva Has a Secret Ingredient That Could Kill You

mosquitoes they are real chemists. Your saliva contains compounds anestheticsthat prevent us from noticing when we are being bitten, as well as anticoagulants that allow the blood they steal from us to flow faster. All this generates allergic reactionresponsible for itching and urticaria. This is at best. Yes, too transmit diseases, the sting can be much more expensive. Also, as if that wasn’t enough, a team of scientists found that some mosquito disease vectors, such as Dengue or Zikaadd to the anesthetic and anticoagulant a substance capable of slow down our immune system response. Thus, infection can occur much more easily.

This has been studied in mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. However, the same compound has previously been observed in vectors of other diseases such as Zika and yellow fever.

This discovery is bad news because it shows what these mosquitoes are capable of. But also good, as it suggests another target to attack them on. If the action of this substance is blocked, the immune system will have a free field to fight the viruses they transmit. Unfortunately, there is still time for that, but this discovery is a good start.

The trick of dengue mosquitoes

There is no cure for dengue other than relieve some symptoms. It usually heals on its own; but unfortunately in the most serious cases it can happen internal bleeding that lead to death.

Therefore it is vital get to know the virus and try to find targets that will allow him to finish off. It is logical that the main target is mosquito vectors, therefore, instead of treatment, it is worth carrying out prevention, taking measures to avoid bites. But, since this is not always possible, it is also interesting to know the mechanisms of work of these insects.

This is what prompted the authors of the just-published study to analyze their saliva. They expected to find substances typical of mosquitoes, but they also found a molecule called esRNA, which, oddly enough, has already been seen in other disease vectors such as Zika. They decided to focus their research on this molecule and thus saw that it had the ability to suppress the immune system.

Basically, he can block the action of the first molecules that come to the site of infection as a defense mechanism. This allows the virus to spread freely throughout the body.

Now what?

After this discovery, the study authors from the University of Virginia intend to continue studying the mechanisms of this RNA to fight the immune system. This would be an ideal target for both dengue and other flaviviruses transmitted by mosquitoes.

But there is still time for this. For this reason, as long as the key remains in avoid bites. To do this, avoid places with stagnant water, use mosquito nets on the windows and wear light clothing, but covering the skin as much as possible. Mosquito repellants are also a good option. But clearly, better than repelling a mosquito, the key is to repel a virus. The insect is a simple herald that doesn’t know what damage it does. In the future, perhaps this will become possible.