00:00mosquitoes are no doubt pests but did you know they're also the creatures responsible for the
00:08most deaths worldwide that's because they spread infectious diseases like malaria zika and west
00:13nile virus and now experts say a big part of their lethality might have to do with the ability to
00:19suppress our immune systems during three differentiated analyses researchers found
00:23the mosquitoes that were carrying the dengue virus also carried with them a viral RNA it's
00:28essentially a chemical messenger that prevents the human body from fighting the infection tanya
00:33strillett a biochemist had this to say about the findings it's incredible that the virus can hijack
00:38these molecules so that their co-delivery at the mosquito bite site gives it an advantage in
00:43establishing an infection but she adds that discovering this could also help us fight the
00:47virus at the source of the infection especially considering these types of RNA messengers have
00:52been seen before they believe the RNA prepares the veterinary to take on the viral load leading to
00:57some 400 million people being infected every year there's currently no treatment for the dengue
01:01virus which kills around 21,000 people annually meaning developing something to prevent or at
01:07least inhibit infection could save hundreds of thousands of lives
01:11you
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