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Chacreton190 comments on Prediction challenge: Zika and birth rates - Less Wrong Discussion
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Not sure about prediction questions, but here's a tradeoff question: What are the downsides to wiping out mosquitoes as an anti-disease and anti-annoyance practice? Do they prey on something we kind of need? Distribute pollen? Do anything more useful than make going outside at certain times of year a no-go?
The main focus for many newer efforts to control mosquitos, especially the efforts focusing on genetically modified vectors, is on temporary local extinction. For many mosquito borne human diseases (malaria, dengue chikungunya....) we, humans, are the only known hosts. Killing all of the mosquitos in an area, allowing all sick/infected people to be treated/recover, then allowing mosquitos to repopulate the area would, in theory, end disease transmission. I don't know if we fully understand the ecologic impacts of something like this but, listening to the experts you hear everything from mosquitos don't matter to dragonflies will go extinct. Hard to parse out the truth.