Final answer:
The insecticide DTT caused strong resistance in malaria mosquitoes, leading to decreased effectiveness of this and related chemicals in controlling mosquito populations. Avoiding exposure and sterilizing are important for control. Mosquito resistance and parasites' resistance to treatments complicate the fight against malaria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The insecticide made the malaria mosquitoes strongly resistant to DTT and other similar chemicals, thereby reducing the effectiveness of these insecticides over time. Measures such as trying to sterilize, or avoid exposure to this highly aggressive mosquito species are crucial to malaria control. Following the widespread use of DTT after World War II, it became clear that mosquitoes, including Anopheles gambiae which transmits malaria, were developing resistance to the insecticide. This resistance is a result of evolutionary pressures, where mosquitoes with alleles for DTT resistance were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing these resistant traits on to their offspring.
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites and transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, poses a significant health threat. The most deadly strain, Plasmodium falciparum, when promptly and correctly treated, has a mortality rate of just 0.1 percent, but resistance to common treatments has increased, particularly in parts of Africa where the majority of malaria cases occur. The development of resistance to both drugs and insecticides makes the fight against malaria especially challenging in regions where the disease remains prevalent.