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 Health & Beauty | October 2005 
Fruit Seeds Fight Dengue
 Wire sevices
Veracruz, Mexico - Scientists in this Gulf coast city have discovered that seeds from the tropical fruit guanabana are a powerful insecticide against the mosquito responsible for transmitting the dengue virus, even eliminating the insect's larvae.
"This bio-insecticide not only is more effective than the traditional pesticides, but also is light resistant and less harmful to the environment," researchers at the University of Veracruz told EFE Thursday.
Molecular biologist Veronica Domínguez said this natural insecticide to be used against the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the dengue virus could be used to control dengue outbreaks worldwide.
After several tests of natural extracts and store-bought chemical insecticides, the researchers found that the seeds of the guanabana - a fruit with a hard, green skin and white, juicy pulp - contained the lethal agent.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two-fifths of the world's population are at risk of dengue infection and more than 100 countries have been hit by classic or hemorrhagic dengue outbreaks.
The WHO estimates that some 50 million people come down with classic and hemorrhagic dengue fever each year. A total of 500,000 are hospitalized with the disease and 20,000 die annually.
Domínguez said one of the main problems in fighting the spread of dengue is the resistance that the Aedes aegypti mosquito has developed to traditional pesticides, as well as its rapid adaptation to different environments. |
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