NAIROBI, KENYA — Researchers in Kenya discovered a microbe that can completely prevent mosquitoes from carrying malaria.<br /><br />According to the study published in Nature Communications, the microbe could be used to check the spread of malaria around the world.<br /><br />The research teams from the UK and Kenya found that the malaria-stopping fungal microbe called Microsporidia MB was present in 5 percent of the mosquitoes they sampled.<br /><br />The fungus grows in the genitalia and digestive system of mosquitoes, and the data suggests it is 100 percent effective in stopping malaria from infecting mosquitoes.<br /><br />Speaking to the BBC, the authors say they do not as yet know how the fungus stops malaria.<br /><br />The paper's lead author Jeremy Heren says at least 40 percent of mosquitoes in a region need to be infected with the fungus to curb malaria transmission.
