Guppy Guardians

Mosquito-borne diseases are some of the deadliest known to mankind. From Malaria to Dengue Fever, the mosquito has claimed more lives than all wars combined. It’s unsurprising then, that every possible effort is being made to eradicate these diseases and save lives, even if the methods used are somewhat unorthodox...

The nonprofit Malaria Consortium is one such organisation that’s dedicated to wiping out malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, and they’ve turned to a surprisingly low-tech yet effective weapon in their fight – guppies.

As part of a promising year-long trial in Cambodia, one of the hardest-hit areas, scientists have been exploring the ways in which guppies can provide simple solutions to one of medicine’s toughest problems. Feral populations of guppies are already widespread in the flooded rice paddies of the area but are now being kept in the rain barrels that Cambodians traditionally use to hold water for cooking and cleaning. And while the handy water source typically attracts mosquitoes to lay their eggs there, the addition of the tiny fish means that the mosquito larvae are eaten before they have a chance to grow into adults and spread disease.

The scientists have thus hit upon a low-cost and home-grown tactic that could reap huge rewards, and the little fish are enjoying a safe and mutually beneficial relationship with their enthusiastic new owners. It’s great to see that fishkeeping can not only improve our mental health and wellbeing but also genuinely make a difference to entire communities by saving lives.