Australia: Aupa de peste, contraception

2002/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia

After years of effort, researchers at the PAC CRC in Camberra have managed to synthesize the virus that sterilizes female bees. The virus does not kill the rabbit, but it produces a mutation in the outer layer of the egg, enough to produce the immune system response of the rabbit and damage it.

Laboratory tests have shown that the virus has the capacity to sterilize 8 out of 11 rabbits, losing fertility those who do not sterilize them. Researchers believe that the spread of the virus in nature will reduce the population of rabbits to European levels. Field permission has already been requested and similar viruses are being sought against other pest species.

The virus is the same that caused massacre in the Australian rabbits population 50 years ago, but mutated. According to the researchers, if the virus has not been transmitted from the species to the species, neither will the mutated be transmitted, so there is no reason to scare it. Unless it extends outside Australia.