17 Feb This fish may hold the secret to prevent Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya
After reports of Zika being declared a global public health emergency, cases with the possible association of microcephaly in newborns rising in Brazil and the linked with Guillain-Barré, a syndrome that causes muscle weakness or paralysis; the mosquito-borne virus has everyone alarm and asking the question: Where is the vaccine or cure for the infectious disease that has taken experts by surprise?
According to Reuters, a group of young volunteers in El Salvador have developed a project which they place Sambo fish in water tanks and deposits to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes that transmit zika, dengue and chikungunya because the animals consume the mosquito larvae and eggs which reduces the potential risk to get the disease. “It’s easier to eliminate breeding grounds of mosquitoes than to limit people’s desire to be a mother or a father,” said Julio Morales, director of the Unicentro hospital in Soyapango, to the Washington Post,“killing the larva is fundamental. If people don’t understand that, we’re never going to stop this virus.”
