A potential new way to curb malaria's spread

New research points to a potential way to prevent the spread of malaria, which kills 400,000 people each year. Bed nets are often treated with insecticide to kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes, but the insects can grow resistant to the chemicals. So researchers came up with another approach: Coat the surfaces mosquitoes land on with a substance that stops them from developing the parasites that cause malaria. The researchers found the chemical, atovaquone, could be absorbed through a mosquito’s legs. They say that suggests coating bed nets with atovaquone could curb malaria’s spread, particularly in areas with high rates of insecticide resistance.