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Mosquitoes resistant to dengue are created Washington Post Researchers have created a genetically engineered mosquito that could help combat the insect-borne dengue fever virus, a painful and sometimes fatal disease that infects 50 million people a year. By transforming and cloning genetic material from the virus and then injecting it into embryos of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, researchers at the University of California, Irvine were able to breed a version of the insect that is resistant to the virus. The treated virus "inoculated" the mosquitoes with an essentially benign form of the virus. Mosquitoes that survived the procedure were able to reproduce and produce young that were similarly resistant — and unable to pass the virus on. Researchers have been working to create genetically modified insects to reduce illness and crop loss, but with only modest success. Some fear that releasing modified insects could have unintended, problematic consequences. Researcher Anthony James said his team's work represents "the first time we have brought all the pieces together to create a stable model that can also reproduce."
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