Il prossimo alleato dell'uomo per combattere le zanzare portatrici di malattie è un drone, capace di rilasciare grandi quantità di maschi sterili in poco tempo. A mettere a punto la tecnica e a provarla con successo è stata l'AIEA, l'agenzia delle Nazioni Unite per l'energia atomica, che ha descritto gli ultimi test in un comunicato.
La Sterile Insect Technique è una forma di controllo che usa le radiazioni per rendere sterili gli esemplari maschi, che una volta rilasciati nell'ambiente si accoppiano con le femmine senza produrre prole e portando quindi a un declino della popolazione nel tempo.
Attualmente il rilascio viene fatto da terra, un metodo lento e dispendioso. Il Brasile, spiega il comunicato, sta pianificando i primi dal cielo per l'inizio del 2019 con l'obiettivo di combattere la popolazione di Aedes aegypti, le zanzare che trasmettono tra le altre malattie anche il virus Zika.
ANSA/Nad
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