消灭蚊子，这位科学家或许找到了迄今最有效的方法
炎炎夏日，最恼人的莫过于蚊子。今天一则喜大普奔的消息是，中国科学家终于找到了消灭一大种群蚊子的方法。
据CNN报道，在中国广东省的两个岛屿上进行的一项实验，几乎完全消灭了世界上入侵程度最高的一个蚊子种群。
（图 via CNN）
该实验成功地将雌性亚洲虎蚊的数量减少了94%，使人类被叮咬的次数减少了97%。雌虎蚊是蚊虫叮咬和疾病传播的主要来源。
One of the Chinese study's researchers, Xi Zhiyong, a professor at Michigan State University, has been a longtime pioneer in this field of study. Running a mosquito factory in southern China, he previously attempted to use sterilized male mosquitoes to mate with unaltered females.
这项研究的研究人员之一、密歇根州立大学教授奚志勇长期以来一直是这一研究领域的先驱。他在中国南方经营着一家蚊子工厂，此前曾试图使用经过绝育的雄性蚊子与未经改造的雌性蚊子交配。
In the new study, published by the International Journal of Science, Xi and his colleagues attempted to cut mosquito numbers even further by limiting both male and females' ability to reproduce.
在这项发表在《自然》杂志上的新研究中，奚志勇和他的同事们试图通过限制雄性和雌性蚊子的繁殖能力来进一步减少蚊子的数量。
Female mosquitoes were sterilized with low level radiation while the males were infected with the Wolbachia bacteria, then both were released during the peak breeding seasons in 2016 and 2017 on two islands near Guangzhou city.
雌蚊经低水平辐射绝育，雄蚊经沃尔巴克氏菌绝育后，分别于2016年和2017年的繁殖高峰期在广州市附近的两个岛上放生。
The results were so successful they nearly eradicated the entire female mosquito population on the two islands.
结果非常成功，几乎根除了这两个岛上的所有雌性蚊子。
▲Mosquitoes have been almost completely wiped out on two Chinese islands (via CNN)
（图 via CNN）
蚊子生态学家Peter Armbruster在一份声明中说，考虑到蚊子顽强的生存能力，这项试验是迄今为止最成功的灭蚊试验之一。
Experts said the Asian tiger mosquitoes are particularly hard to eradicate using conventional population control methods, such as pesticides and removing stagnant water where the insects lay their eggs.
专家表示，使用传统的种群控制方法，如杀虫剂和清除蚊子产卵的积水，尤其难以根除亚洲虎蚊。
The white-striped mosquitoes have been described as "highly invasive" and have spread from Asia to almost every continent over the past 40 years, according to the study's authors.
该研究报告的作者称，这种带有白色条纹的蚊子具有“高度入侵”能力，在过去40年里，它们已经从亚洲传播到几乎各个洲。
Mosquitoes pose grave threats to human health beyond just irritating bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the insects as "one of the deadliest animals in the world," due to their ability to rapidly spread deadly diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.
蚊子对人类健康的严重威胁不仅仅只是令人讨厌的叮咬。世界卫生组织称这种昆虫是“世界上最致命的动物之一”，因为它们能够迅速传播登革热和疟疾等致命疾病。
▲Mosquitoes have been almost completely wiped out on two Chinese islands (via CNN)
（图 via CNN）
广州是一个人口密集的热带城市，2014年广州爆发登革热疫情期间，该市约有37350人感染登革热。
本月，菲律宾卫生部门发布了“全国登革热警报”，在2019年上半年就有450多人死于登革热。
马尼拉一所医院内，感染登革热的菲律宾患者（图 via CNN）
此外，奚志勇教授还告诉《新闻周刊》，这种灭蚊方法对环境友好，有可能被广泛用于控制携带疾病的蚊子。
He explained the SIT technique had already been used to successfully suppress and predicate a number of agricultural insect pests, such as medfly and tsetse flies. But despite a huge effort, it had never before been successfully used in tackling mosquitoes.
他解释说，昆虫绝育技术已经成功地用于抑制和确认一些农业害虫，如地中海实蝇和采采蝇。但是，尽管付出了巨大的努力，它此前从未成功地用于对付蚊子。
The findings are promising, but Xi acknowledged: "In terms of disease control, this approach may not be suitable in emergency situations during disease outbreak."
研究结果很有希望，但奚志勇承认：“在疾病控制方面，这种方法可能不适用于疾病暴发期间的紧急情况。”
"This research can be extended to control malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, and for agricultural pest control as well," he said. The technique could be used to create areas protected for humans, as well as food and plants.
“这项研究可以扩展到控制疟疾和其他蚊媒疾病，以及农业害虫控制，”他说。这项技术可以用来为人类、食物和植物创造保护区。
"It can also be used to prevent the global expansion and invasion by highly invasive insect species to restore the ecosystem. This green technology is especially useful and cost-effective for those island countries in tropical regions to generate 'mosquito vector-free' environment," Xi concluded.
“它还可以用来防止高度入侵的昆虫物种在全球范围内的扩张和入侵，从而恢复生态系统。”这一绿色技术对于热带地区的岛国创造‘无蚊媒’环境特别有用和划算，”奚志勇总结道。
▲CHINA: SCIENTISTS RELEASED MILLIONS OF INFECTED, STERILIZED MOSQUITOES INTO WILD TO WIPE OUT DISEASE-CARRYING BUGS (via Newsweek)
（图 via Getty）
中国科学家找到的灭蚊新方法，你觉得怎么样？欢迎留言并分享你的观点！
整合：Du Qiongfang
资料：CNN，Newsweek
图/题图：CNN, Getty
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