None of humankind’s battles has proved more enduring—or less successful— than the war on mosquitoes.
Around the world each year, millions of people die of diseases spread by the insect. It’s a familiar list of stubborn plagues—malaria, West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, forms of encephalitis—with some chilling recent additions. The mosquito-borne chikungunya virus has spread to parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and as of 2013, the Americas. Its effects, while painful, pale in comparison with those of the Zika virus, which is careering through the Western Hemisphere and leaving tragically damaged babies in its wake.
We have drained cesspools, warned of the dangers of standing water, and sprayed a river of pesticides. We have put up bed nets and window screens; we have educated and exhorted. And yet, by any…
