Dengue: Bacteria can stop disease transmission in Brazil

Brazil is facing the worst dengue epidemic in history. In addition to measures to combat the Aedes a Egypti mosquito, such as avoiding stagnant water, health authorities have another alternative to stop the spread of the disease: the Wolbachia Method.

The initiative is led by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in collaboration with local governments and the World Mosquito Program (WMP), an international non-profit initiative working to protect the global community from mosquito-borne diseases.

It does not consist in the genetic modification of mosquitoes, but rather in the release of Aedes a Egypti with the Wolbachia bacterium, which prevents the development of the dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses, helping to reduce transmission. This bacterium is found in the environment and is present in 50-60% of insects, such as butterflies, bees and ants.

Aedes a Egypti didn’t have it, but researchers discovered that by removing it and inserting it into mosquitoes, it blocks the replication of the dengue virus, as well as Chikungunya and Zika. It’s as if the mosquito has been vaccinated, so to speak.

Diogo Chalegre, health biologist and head of institutional and government relations at WMP Brasil

In the method, there is no new insertion of the bacteria into each one, as each female who possesses it passes it on to the next generation, making the method self-sustaining and an accessible long-term intervention. The process can be carried out both with the adult, which is released on the street, and with mosquito eggs.

Teams currently operate in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Niterói (RJ), Campo Grande (MS), Belo Horizonte (MG) and Petrolina (PE). The entire action is carried out with funding from the Ministry of Health, which has mapped the locations considered priority to receive the method. They are: Joinville,ondrina, Foz do Iguaçu, Presidente Prudente, Uberlândia and Natal. The expectation is that everyone will receive the technology in the coming months. The information comes from UOL.

The post Dengue: Bacteria may curb disease transmission in Brazil appeared first on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital