
New drug dispenser may turn human beings into weapons against mosquitos - johnny313
http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21710243-new-drug-dispenser-may-turn-human-beings-chemical-weapons-biter-bit
======
blaincate
In srilanka, an innovative way to fight malaria, was print newspapers with
mosquito repellant mixed.

[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-
newspaper-t...](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-newspaper-
that-saves-lives-sri-lankan-paper-fights-dengue-with-mosquito-repellent-
ink-9576020.html)

worth a read!

~~~
throawayslacker
There's a "black, white, and read all over" joke in there somewhere, I just
can't find it.

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beloch
Giving this to livestock would also be pretty deadly to mosquitoes. Using cows
and pigs to fight malaria is not a half-bad idea.

~~~
jfoster
What if the effect of this approach is not eradication of mosquitoes but
evolution, though? Mosquitos evolving to avoid livestock would need to
compensate by feeding more somewhere else. That somewhere might be humans.

~~~
mvid
Or they might just die. Evolution doesn't give guarantees.

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guard-of-terra
How about placing in our blood flow a CRISPR that embeds into mosquitoes' DNA
something that makes all their offspring sterile after four generations? For
three generations they should be fertile thus moving genes around.

~~~
maxerickson
A similar strategy is already in use.

[http://www.oxitec.com/our-solution/technology/the-
science/](http://www.oxitec.com/our-solution/technology/the-science/)

[http://www.straitstimes.com/world/americas/brazil-to-use-
fac...](http://www.straitstimes.com/world/americas/brazil-to-use-factory-bred-
mozzies-to-fight-diseases)

It doesn't use CRISPR or have the amazing generational sterility though.

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woodrowbarlow
doesn't this cause a problem similar to the "superbugs" epidemic? i.e., the
population of malaria-carrying insects takes a big hit, but then the only ones
left are the ones who have adapted to survive (found a new food source) and
the population builds back up?

~~~
Retric
Single celled organisms evolve a lot faster than multi cell organisms. So, one
long timescales it would be a problem, but solutions that only work for 100
years are still useful.

~~~
mistercow
Nonetheless drug resistant fleas are a problem, so much so that the most
effective treatment for your pets varies regionally.

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projektfu
There are new compounds being used in the veterinary world that may be better
options. Fluralaner, for example, appears to have few side effects and remains
in effective concentrations to kill fleas and ticks for over 3 months in dogs.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these drugs being used to cure children
of headlice in the near future.

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tdb7893
Would this be a human equivalent of the flea and tick medicine we give to our
pets?

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jessaustin
It's interesting that ivermectin kills mosquitos. We've always used it for
intestinal worms. It is a marvelous compound.

~~~
projektfu
Ivermectin, and a lot of other drugs in the class of macrocyclic lactones, are
considered "endectocides" in that they kill nematodes (endoparasites) and
insects (ectoparasites). I don't understand why they aren't studying
moxidectin, a related compound which persists in the body at effective
concentrations for a month or more.

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notgood
Wouldn't it be possible to make clothes filled with the bad blood which are
attractive to mosquitos? Maybe using diseased's skin or anything mosquitos
want to sting (and keep the bad blood slowly "pumping" using sun heat).

~~~
rm_-rf_slash
_rip_

"Oh my god, are you bleeding?"

"No...no, it's just my shirt."

~~~
alex_anglin
To say nothing about how it would deal with a washing machine...

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unknownsavage
Is it just me, or does that star-shaped thing look absolutely terrifying? I
really don't want that in my stomach. I'd much rather take daily (or even bi-
daily) pills, or even some sort of slow release injection.

~~~
LeifCarrotson
Just you, or just anyone who reads the article. It's soft and flexible. More
importantly a consumer, you'd swallow an ordinarily sized gelatin pill.

In the few minutes as the gelatin dissolved, that star would unfurl. In a few
weeks, that too would dissolve.

People are really bad at taking pills on a schedule. This seems like a novel
solution.

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idanman
Great! Let's give a neurotoxin to people en mass so they don't get Zika.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin)

~~~
k_sze
From the same Wikipedia article:

"The wholesale cost in the developing world is about US$0.12 for a course of
treatment. In the United States it costs $25–50."

:(

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vilhelm_s
This title is clickbait.

~~~
sctb
Thanks, we've updated the HN headline.

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anotheryou
game theory though

~~~
bertiewhykovich
oh yeah, that game theory. mmm. I see what you mean.

~~~
anotheryou
sorry, was too lazy to explain:

If only 60% of my village needs to take the drugs, nobody really wants to be
it.

~~~
saint_fiasco
Just give money to the people who take the drug and can prove that they took
it consistently (urine tests?)

