Entomopathogenic fungi as biological insecticides to control malaria

Malaria is arguably the most serious vector-borne disease worldwide. The already-alarming number of deaths caused by malaria is increasing, caused in part by the increase in mosquito resistance to chemical insecticides. In two recent articles, the use of an approach was reported that could open a new front in the fight against malaria. Laboratory and field studies demonstrate that entomopathogenic fungi can efficiently kill adult anopheline mosquitoes, the females of which are the obligatory vectors for malaria parasites.