Fredros Okumu: Why I study the most dangerous animal on earth -- mosquitoes

Why I study the most dangerous animal on earth -- mosquitoes

What do we really know about mosquitoes? Fredros Okumu catches and studies these disease-carrying insects for a living -- with the hope of crashing their populations. Join Okumu for a tour of the frontlines of mosquito research, as he details some of the unconventional methods his team at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania have developed to target what has been described as the most dangerous animal on earth.

Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading malaria, killing hundreds of thousands each year, especially in Africa. In some Tanzanian villages, people can receive over 2,500 infectious bites annually. Traditional tools like bednets face rising resistance, so researchers are developing new methods, from using mosquitoes to deliver insecticides to creating lures that attract and trap them. These efforts aim for a future where children inherit a world free of malaria.