Mosquitos carry several viral diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, etc. Researchers are investigating ways to minimise the spread of such diseases, which are caused by mosquitos.

Mosquitos carry several viral diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, etc. Researchers are investigating ways to minimise the spread of such diseases, which are caused by mosquitos. In India, ICMR- Vector Control Research Centre in Pondicherry is the biggest institute, which probes how such deadly diseases can be prevented and cured. In this particular institute, millions of living and dead mosquitos are kept which are used for research purposes. Interestingly, if the researchers want to continue their analysis, they have to keep the mosquitos alive and for that extra efforts are needed. It becomes utterly important to take good care of those mosquitos. It becomes extremely to give these mosquitos a good diet. Sounds weird? After years of research, VCRC scientist Nisha Mathew and her team came up with a special diet for mosquitos, which was patented on Tuesday itself. It is a known fact that female mosquitos need human blood for breeding. For that, the institute seeks help from local blood banks. There are instances when it becomes difficult to arrange blood. Sometimes, the blood banks give away the blood bags which are about to expire or not usable. Still, it wasn't a long-term solution as such issues keep occurring. As a solution, the institute started developing an artificial diet for mosquitos. For years, they kept preparing 18 different diets. Now, the mosquitos have started feeding on four of them. There's no impact on their health. What do the mosquitos eat exactly? For this special diet, the researchers also designed a feeder. The equipment has a membrane, through which the mosquitos eat the powered food. Initially, the feeder was imported, which used to cost around ₹50000. But now, the scientists themselves are designing it, which costs around ₹1000. The mosquitos can easily consume the food as the temperature of the feeder is set similar to a human body, that is 36°C. In the VCRC institute, researchers are experimenting to know the possible cure for diseases like dengue by making changes in breeding. The researchers are working on the prevention of other diseases as well.

Indian institute gives a special diet to mosquitos to keep them healthy. Here's why

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