Brazil to build mosquito factory to fight dengue, Zika, chikungunya

Brazil’s research foundation Fiocruz has signed a deal with the World Mosquito Program (WMP) to expand the use of Wolbachia bacteria against dengue, Zika, and chikungunya—diseases transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The method is currently employed in Brazil as well as in 11 other countries. Inserted into the insects, Wolbachia bacteria can block the transmission of the virus to humans.

The agreement was unveiled in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday (Mar. 30) and lays out the conditions for the construction of a large biofactory by 2024. With the capacity to breed up to 100 million mosquitoes per week, the plant is likely to cost BRL 100 million, with funding stemming from the WMP and the Paraná Institute of Molecular Biology (IBMP), which was conceived through a partnership between Fiocruz and the Paraná state government.

Another BRL 80 million—BRL 50 million from the WMP plus BRL 30 million from Fiocruz—will be allocated to boosting the current production, helping states and cities curb the diseases in critical locations.

Artificial introduction

Wolbachia bacteria, Fiocruz stated, are found naturally in approximately 60 percent of insects—but not in the Aedes aegypti. This is they are artificially introduced into the mosquito.

The method does not require any genetic modification either in the bacteria or the mosquito, the scientists underscored. The goal, they went on to say, is not to eliminate the mosquito from the environment, but rather to replace a population capable of transmitting disease with an incapable one.

In Brazil, the method is conducted by Fiocruz in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The efforts began in 2015 with the release of mosquitoes in two small districts in Rio de Janeiro. Since the initiative proved successful, it was soon expanded to other cities and states.

Sustainability

The project is sustainable: The female mosquito carrying Wolbachia transmits them to its offspring, even if it mates with males without them.

The outcome, however, is not likely to be felt soon. “The method can be implemented more quickly or slowly depending on the circumstances in each city. Dengue cases usually don’t show a real decline until a few years later,” said Fiocruz researcher and WMP leader in Brazil Luciano Moreira.