New nets with drugs kill malaria in mosquitoes

Scientists have developed bed nets treated with antimalarial drugs that kill the malaria parasite within mosquitoes, potentially preventing disease transmission. This approach could overcome insecticide resistance. Researchers tested 81 compounds, finding that two ELQ drugs effectively eliminated the Plasmodium parasite in mosquitoes. These drugs, when applied to bed nets, cured infected mosquitoes upon contact. Malaria, spread by infected mosquitoes, causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. The new bed nets offer a novel strategy to combat the disease, especially in areas where insecticide resistance is a growing problem.