Genetically modified mosquitoes repel dengue fever

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Saturday, January 18, 2020
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SAN DIEGO, California (WPVI) -- For mosquito-phobics, a lab at the University of California San Diego is a little creepy.

It has rows and rows of clear boxes filled with mosquitoes on its shelves.

However, those mosquitoes could be the key to fighting deadly viruses, like dengue fever.

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have genetically modified them to carry an antibody blocking them from carrying all 4 types of the virus.

When the female mosquitoes bite, they can't transmit the virus.

The technique could also be a framework for stopping Zika or other mosquito-borne viruses, if antibodies can be located.