PR PANGANDARAN – Entomologist from University of Melbourne allow thousands mosquito biting his arm regularly for a research related to the eradication of dengue fever.
Dr. Perran Stott-Ross has been involved in research mosquito at the University of Melbourne for many years, is now trying to find effective ways to curb the spread of the Dengue virus.
As is known, the dengue virus spreads between humans through mosquito.
One strategy is to infect the herd mosquito with Wolbachia, a bacteria that naturally blocks the transmission of dengue fever and passes it down from generation to generation.
However, to continue research this, Dr. Stott-Ross had to give up thousands of these blood-sucking insects to bite his arm until they were satisfied.
Launching Oddity Central, the Australian scientist first caught the attention of the public in March 2020, when he tweeted a photo of his arm covered in blisters after feeding 5,000 mosquito female.
Here’s a photo inside the cage with my arm going through a mesh stocking. This helps to reduce escapees. It also helps if I shake my arm as I take it out. pic.twitter.com/4yZFmKfY5y— Perran Ross (@MosWhisperer) May 8, 2020
For anyone interested, here’s a time-lapse of the mosquitoes feeding:https://t.co/7kMZAXdXyB— Perran Ross (@MosWhisperer) May 8, 2020
She admits that bites can be painful sometimes, and she always has to refrain from scratching during feeding sessions.
“Sometimes it can sting a little if they get you to the right place, but mostly it’s just a mild irritation,” Ross told Science Alert.
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