Contemporary research on genetic control of disease-transmitting insects knows
two kinds of scientists: those that work in the laboratory and those known as
´field people´. Over the last decade, both groups seem to have developed
differing research priorities, address fundamentally different aspects within
the overall discipline of infectious-disease control, and worse, have developed
a scientific ´language´ that is no longer understood by the ´other´ party. This
gap widens every day, between the North and the South, between ecologists and
molecular biologists, geneticists and behaviourists, etc. The need to develop a
common research agenda that bridges this gap has been identified as a top
priority by all parties involved. Only then shall the goal of developing
appropriate genetic-control strategies for vectors of disease become reality.
This book is the reflection of a workshop, held in Nairobi (Kenya) in July
2004. It brought together a good representation of both molecular and
ecological research and, for the first time, included a significant number of
researchers from disease-endemic countries. TOC:From the contents Preface.
Executive summary.- Report of the working-group meeting.- Lessons learnt and
anticipated benefits.- Current state and future needs of laboratory and field
science.- Regional situation reports: malaria and dengue.- Integration.-
Mosquito mating behaviour.- List of participants.
