A New Discovery About Mosquitoes Reveals Why Vampires Will Never Exist

Scientists have found a type of bacteria that kills off the mosquito that carries malaria. That's good news. The way the bacteria works means it could also be used to make sure there is never a plague of vampires. That's even more good news.

Anopheles gambiae, the blood-sucking, malaria-carrying mosquito has been a deadly adversary to humanity for a long time. Malaria kills almost a million people per year. Researchers have come up with hundreds of potential ways to combat the disease, from engineering a malaria-proof mosquito to shooting the mosquitos that carry malaria out of the sky with lasers. This latest effort might also fight more mythical foes of humanity.

Wolbachia is a bacteria that preys on insects. It is not carried by the type of mosquito that carries the malaria parasite. Scientists guessed that it might be fatal to this type of mosquito, and infected them with two different strains of Wolbachia, hoping for a way to kill off the carriers to stop the spread of the disease. The bacteria spread quickly, and even seemed to manipulate the mosquitos' immune systems to give itself the run of the insect's body. What's more, it inhibited the growth of malaria in the insects. But they didn't seem to die. They sucked down the sugar that the scientists provided them quite happily, and lived quite healthily. Then they were fed blood, and died in a day.

Not only does this bacteria seem like a good way or reducing the amount of mosquitos that feed on blood, it actively prevents a mosquito from dining on infected blood, and then moving on and infecting another person. This could be a good way to keep the spread of malaria under control.

But that's not all it can do. Movies have shown that vampires need a stake to the heart, a bullet to the base of the brain, sunlight, or getting their heads ripped off in order to kill them. They're fast, strong, and tough to pin down. This might be an entirely new way of preventing a vampire apocalypse. All they need is to infect humanity with this bacteria, let it live harmlessly in our guts while we eat sugar, and then if any of us are turned into vampires and make our first kill - blammo. Dead in a day.

IO9

That's impresive, the wiping out malaria part

2 good news:

first, we are on the way to erradicate malaria

Secondly, we never will be turned into vampires. (but I think you already knew it)

Sorry vampire lovers.

I think we might need a little more information please

Ah sorry when i first clicked on this thread there was no text - d'oh

and what source was used it would be helpful if we all could take a look

reply to post by ronishia


Sorry, I put the title and hit enter

Now Im fixing it.

Reply to post by Hopeforeveryone

i think we also need more from the op than just an external text.

like his angle, his point, what he wants us to discuss.

just pasting an article is sort of a pre formed opinion.

and for that we already have the msm.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Thats good news for the fight against malaria - maybe they can come up with a anti-mosquito pesticide. Also saw this on the bbc health news

bbc news

Seems once you have a malaria infection it prevents you getting any more infections - maybe a theraphy can come from that too. Would be good as it kills millions every year.

Isn't the definition of a vampire just someone who drinks blood? not this Hollywood rubbish.

Originally posted by Hopeforeveryone
Thats good news for the fight against malaria - maybe they can come up with a anti-mosquito pesticide. Also saw this on the bbc health news

bbc news

Seems once you have a malaria infection it prevents you getting any more infections - maybe a theraphy can come from that too. Would be good as it kills millions every year.

edit on 20-5-2011 by Hopeforeveryone because: typos

Wow, a anti-mosquito pesticide will be awesome. I just hope that a "mass murder" of mosquitoes do not unbalance the environment.

Originally posted by AnotherYOU
Reply to post by Hopeforeveryone

 

i think we also need more from the op than just an external text.

like his angle, his point, what he wants us to discuss.

just pasting an article is sort of a pre formed opinion.

and for that we already have the msm.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

Did you read my first post below the main article?

Question: Why would you want to be a stupid mortal in a "vampire apocalypse".

I would hate to be a useless mortal in a vampire apocalypse. I'm on the vampires side!

Originally posted by FraternitasSaturni
Question: Why would you want to be a stupid mortal in a "vampire apocalypse".

I would hate to be a useless mortal in a vampire apocalypse. I'm on the vampires side!

hypothetically, in my wildest fantasies, I have to say that I would not be the van helsing one too.

Originally posted by Viking9019
Isn't the definition of a vampire just someone who drinks blood? not this Hollywood rubbish.

Im not an expecialist, but I think vampires are mythological or folkloric beings. They survive of blood.

so what do we do about psychic vampires

I was at a lecture presented by one of the head researchers of this just last year. It's quite amazing. Even more amazing is what they put themselves through in the name of results - they literally sit in what amounts to a green house with a patio, filled with millions of Mosquitos for two hours. It's one of the many reasons I'm sticking to chemistry.

Originally posted by connorromanow
so what do we do about psychic vampires

As I said before, Im not an expecialist in the "vampires" subject. Maybe you can put some light on this.

My guess about psychic vampire would be they suck brain waves?

Originally posted by hypervalentiodine
I was at a lecture presented by one of the head researchers of this just last year. It's quite amazing. Even more amazing is what they put themselves through in the name of results - they literally sit in what amounts to a green house with a patio, filled with millions of Mosquitos for two hours. It's one of the many reasons I'm sticking to chemistry.

This is what I call commitment with the cause

Re: OP. That sabotage sounds like a conspiracy only the WereWolves would come up with. Still, Vampires have a better evolutionary/survival advantage over little mosquitos. When I see one of those buzzers on my arm, "blammo!!!" With my hand, I obliterated the little monster. But if I were to slug LeStat after he bit me, I'd be TOAST!

SOOKIE!!!



So lets assume that a vampire could exist...would it not stand to reason that what would infect a mosquito would likely not infect them?

This just sounds like an interesting malaria discovery was cheapened by some daydream.

Regardless, it is still a cool discovery and it would be nice to see something sprung into action. However, using microbes to fight our battles en masse may not be the best idea. I think studying the chemical effects that cause the die off would be more prudent.

Originally posted by simone50m
Re: OP. That sabotage sounds like a conspiracy only the WereWolves would come up with. Still, Vampires have a better evolutionary/survival advantage over little mosquitos. When I see one of those buzzers on my arm, "blammo!!!" With my hand, I obliterated the little monster. But if I were to slug LeStat after he bit me, I'd be TOAST!

Are you serious?

Do you believe in vampires?

And I was so happy we can put an end on malaria.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
SOOKIE!!!

So lets assume that a vampire could exist...would it not stand to reason that what would infect a mosquito would likely not infect them?

This just sounds like an interesting malaria discovery was cheapened by some daydream.

Regardless, it is still a cool discovery and it would be nice to see something sprung into action. However, using microbes to fight our battles en masse may not be the best idea. I think studying the chemical effects that cause the die off would be more prudent.

The bacteria they use is a bacteria present in most insects anyway, which is half the reason it's being pursued as a potential avenue in eradicating malaria and dengue fever.