Researchers from Tsinghua University, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University of Connecticut found human blood serum iron helps to control dengue virus infection.
According to a recent study conducted by a team of multinational researchers, iron intake may pose as an effective method to control the transmission of dengue virus by the female aedes mosquito. This is based on the evidence that these mosquitoes ted to feed on iron-deficient blood.
Tapping on the idea that blood constituents or their metabolites may influence the spread of dengue, researchers conducted a series of tests to screen blood components. This led them to discover that human blood serum iron is able to attune dengue virus infection by mosquitos and that they have an inverse relationship.
This study demonstrates that mosquitos are less likely to be infected with the dengue virus when they feed on blood with high levels of iron. This works through a mechanism where the iron in the mosquito’s gut will produce more reactive oxygen species and prevent the uptake of dengue virus by the mosquitos.
This study indicates that iron supplementation reduces dengue transmission by mosquitoes, providing a new perspective for controlling the disease.
The results were published in the journal Nature Microbiology. [APBN]
Source: Xinhua