RD201906

Scientists Wipe Out

Disease-Carrying

Mosquitoes

Although the majority

of mosquitoes don’t

spread diseases, the

three most deadly

types (aedes, ano-

pheles, and culex) live

on almost every conti-

nent and are responsi-

ble for transmitting

approximately 17 per-

cent of the infectious

diseases around the

world, according to the

Commonwealth Scien-

tific and Industrial

Research Organisation.

In an experiment with

global implications,

scientists released

more than three mil-

lion sterile male Aedes

aegypti mosquitoes in

three tropical towns

in northern Australia.

The sterile males

mated with wild fe-

males, and more than

80 percent of the entire

population was eventu-

ally wiped out.

NIGHT OWLS MORE LIKELY

TO GET TYPE 2 DIABETES

In a review of 17 studies with data from

more than 465,000 people, researchers

found that night owls have an increased risk

of heart disease and type 2 diabetes com-

pared with early risers. Why? Individuals

who went to bed later tended to consume

more alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. Also,

eating later in the day causes glucose levels

to spike in the evening, which could have an

impact on the body’s natural metabolism.

Photograph by The Voorhes

Reader’s Digest

News From the

WORLD OF

MEDICINE

42 june 2019 | rd.com