Dengue transmitted via mosquito eggs -- study

[Snowy Owl]

Dengue transmitted via mosquito eggs -- study
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/world/view_article.php?article_id=21939
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Associated Press
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JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Dengue fever can be passed from mosquitoes to their offspring and then on to humans, according to an Indonesian study that stresses the importance of killing eggs when fighting the virus.

The initial findings -- the latest to support evidence of transovarial transmission of dengue -- followed six months of research in five cities on the main island of Java, said Budihardja, head of the Central Java Health Office.

He said the study showed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes born with the virus were capable of infecting humans, underscoring the threat that dengue posed during the upcoming rainy season.

Insecticides would have to be developed to kill not just mosquitoes, but also eggs and larva, said Budihardja, who goes by only one name.

Health Ministry official Dr. Rita Kusriastuti stressed that further research and studies would be needed to verify the findings.

She said at least 700 Indonesians had died of dengue this year, most because they had been brought to hospital after it was too late.

Dengue, which is endemic to Southeast Asia, causes joint pains, high fevers, nausea and a rash. In severe cases, it causes internal bleeding and leads to death.

The virus is most commonly spread by mosquitoes that have contracted it after biting infected humans.