More mosquitoes with bacterium Wolbachia released to tackle dengue in Rio

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) launched a new stage in the fight against dengue fever in Rio de Janeiro by releasing specimens of the mosquito Aedes aegypti with the bacterium Wolbachia for the first time on large scale.

The bacterium reduces the proliferation and efficiency of the mosquito—which also transmits Zika virus and chikungunya. The initiative comes as part of a project entitled Eliminate Dengue: Our Challenge – Brazil, which aims to gradually expand the area wheren mosquitoes are released in the city.

The current stage comprises ten neighborhoods in the Ilha do Governador district. The goal is to have the whole island served later on, along with neighborhoods downtown and also in north and south Rio.

The measures will be carried out until the end of the next year, when some 2 million mosquitoes will have been released and 2.5 million inhabitants benefited.

FIOCRUZ President Nísia Trindade Lima said that the efforts come as part of the foundation's plan to “eliminate the diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti, more specifically dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.”

Efficiency

In the opinion of FIOCRUZ Researcher Luciano Moreira, who spearheads the initiative, only in three to five years will it be possible to gauge the scope and the impact of the efforts initiated today for the population and to what extant people were benefited.

He went on to point out, however, that the population plays a crucial role in making the plan to defeat the mosquito work. “People must be aware that they have to do their part. It's really important. Taking care of their yards, eliminating breeding sites, not leaving containers or vessels with water for mosquitoes to breed,” he explained.

Simulado do Campo

In order to make the new stage of the project possible, FIOCRUZ launched the so-called Simulado do Campo, which consists of facilities, built in the institution itself, for the large-scale production of Aedes aegypti with Wolbachia.

The goal is to meet the demand for mosquitoes in the current stage and boost egg production capacity—which stands at a weekly 600 thousand today. The new facilities should initially boost the capacity to 1.6 million eggs, and subsequently as high as 3 million. The structure is the first of its kind in the country and may reach an output of 10 million Aedes aegypti with Wolbachia.

“The eggs are used for the release in the areas covered by [the program], for the preservation of our colony, and also the research studies conducted by the teams of experts,” Luciano Moreira said.

In an address, Lima noted the importance of new initiatives and technological innovations as an answer to the problems arising from the diseases facing Brazil's public health.

In her view, the project “is a clear demonstration of how technological innovation can be instrumental in overcoming serious public health issues, like diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti.”

How the project works

According to FIOCRUZ, the project is an international, nonprofit initiative that aims to provide a sustainable and affordable solution for health care authorities in the areas affected by dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, “at no charge to the population.”

The global headquarters of the “Eliminate Dengue: Our Challenge” is at Monash University, Australia. The countries in which the program is being conducted, at different stages, apart from Brazil and Australia, are Colombia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Kiribati.

“The project brings forth an innovative method, capable of reducing the transmission of dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya by means of the release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the bacterium Wolbachia, gradually replacing the mosquito population in a given area. Before the mosquitoes are released, the project's engagement and communication team will go on an excursion to raise locals' awareness regarding the importance of the methodology and joint efforts with the population,” FRIOCRUZ declared.

In Brazil, the project is supported by the Ministry of Health in exchange for the work done by FIOCRUZ. The international funding comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Monash University, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira