OSLO,  (Reuters) – A novel genetic technology will  be used in Africa to track mosquitoes that can spread a disease  disfiguring millions of people with often grotesque swellings,  scientists said yesterday.

“DNA barcoding” — a technique that quickly obtains a unique  genetic code — would be used to help identify mosquitoes that  spread Elephantiasis, a disease formally known as lymphatic  filariasis (LF).

It will be the first time that the genetic coding is  deployed against a major world disease, backers of the plan  said. DNA barcoding is inspired by the black lines on products  that are scanned at supermarket checkouts.

“The problem is that there are a whole series of  similar-looking mosquito species,” said James Edwards, board  president of the Philadelphia-based JRS Biodiversity Foundation  which is working with the University of Ghana on the project.

“This will help identify them,” he told Reuters in a  telephone interview. Mosquitoes have widely differing abilities  to transmit LF so identifying species can help refine use of  insecticides. “The ability to precisely identify mosquito species in this  way is a promising advance in the battle against LF, an often  disfiguring disease that today threatens 1 billion people across  roughly 80 countries,” a statement said. “Over 120 million people have the parasitic infection and  more than 40 million have been permanently disabled or  disfigured,” it said.

Elephantiasis results from a microscopic, thread-like worm  spread between humans by a mosquito bite. The worm larvae can  clog the lymph system and cause grotesque swellings.