Argentina is currently facing one of its worst outbreaks of dengue, with over 41,000 cases recorded so far this year. To combat the issue, the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) has been experimenting with atomic sterilisation since 2016. The CNEA is sterilising 10,000 male mosquitoes per week by using ionising energy to alter their DNA before releasing them into the wild. By releasing sterile males, the population of the vector mosquito responsible for transmitting dengue is expected to reduce. With the first batch of sterilised males set to be released in November, this could be a game-changer in the fight against diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.
