Vampires Pt 3-- Why Vampires Can't Exist

Recently, iO9 came out with this very interesting article on why vampires can't exist. If you haven't read it, check it out. The article talks about a new discovery found about mosquitoes. Also check out the original research article, 'Wolbachia Infections are Virulent and Inhibit the human Malaria Parasite Pkasmodium Falciparum in Anopheles Gambiae'. Very interesting read.

In the iO9 article, the writer spins what is found by the researchers who found a type of bacteria that kills of the mosquito that carries malaria by saying that because of this bacteria, it means that there will never be a "plague of vampires".

This bacteria, Wolbachia, although not found to be carried by the type of mosquito that carries malaria, the researchers thought that it could be fatal to them. Mosquitoes were infected with two of the different strains of the bacteria to see if it would kill off the carriers, therefore stopping the spread of the disease. What they found was that the bacteria not only spread quickly and took control of the immune systems of the mosquitoes, but it also inhibited the growth of malaria. The mosquitoes, however, didn't die. What happened was that while the mosquitoes lived on the sugar fed to them, given blood, they died.

Now, just imagine what a writer could do with information like this?

Movies have shown that vampires need a stake to the heart or sunlight... or whatever. But what the researchers have shown is that there are other ways to go about stopping vampires. With a bacteria. (Unless they mutate first, but let's not go there.)

iO9's spin on the research article is brilliant and brings new readers in to the scientific community.