00:00Mosquitoes are no doubt pests, but did you know they're also the creatures responsible
00:07for the most deaths worldwide?
00:09That's because they spread infectious diseases like malaria, Zika, and West Nile virus.
00:14And now experts say a big part of their lethality might have to do with the ability to suppress
00:19our immune systems.
00:21During three differentiated analyses, researchers found the mosquitoes that were carrying the
00:25dengue virus also carried with them a viral RNA.
00:28It's essentially a chemical messenger that prevents the human body from fighting the
00:32infection.
00:33Tanya Strelitz, a biochemist, had this to say about the findings.
00:36It's incredible that the virus can hijack these molecules so that their co-delivery
00:40at the mosquito bite site gives it an advantage in establishing an infection.
00:44But she adds that discovering this could also help us fight the virus at the source of the
00:48infection.
00:49Especially considering these types of RNA messengers have been seen before.
00:53They believe the RNA prepares the veterinary to take on the viral load, leading to some
00:57400 million people being infected every year.
01:00There's currently no treatment for the dengue virus, which kills around 21,000 people annually.
01:04Meaning developing something to prevent, or at least inhibit infection, could save hundreds
01:09of thousands of lives.
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