Argentine scientists use nuclear energy to sterilize disease-carrying mosquitoes. The number of dengue fever cases in the country has reached a record, and the technique, which has been trialled since 2016, is expected to curb the wave of infections.
Buenos Aires, Argentina (AP) —
Mosquitoes that commonly spread dengue fever – and other related diseases, including Zika and chikungunya are a challenge.
Scientists at Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) have tested an innovative technique that involves mass-breeding and sterilizing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, before releasing them back into the wild to mate.
As time passes and successive releases, mosquito populations in the wild are expected to decline.
Head of the CNEA Agricultural Applications Department, Mariana Malter Terrada, said this technique is like a contraceptive for insects, “This technique aims to control insects through itself by releasing sterile male insects into an environment where the population of disease-carrying insects needs to be reduced. Barren male insects compete with wild males to mate with wild females, and the results of this mating will not be able to produce offspring.
In this way, with each release, the population in the target area decreases.”
The technique used – called the Sterile Insect Technique – is a concept first introduced by American entomologist Edward F. Knipling.
This technique was first used to control screw worm fly populations in livestock in the 1950s in the US. Since then, this technique has been used to contain, prevent, and even eradicate local populations of insect pests and disease vectors.
Fumigation officers spray the Chacabuco Park area in an effort to control the Aedes mosquito in Buenos Aires, Argentina (photo: doc).
Experts say this virus works specifically against disease vectors and does not have a negative impact on the wider ecosystem. Terrada said the Aedes aegypti mosquito project started amid the Zika outbreak in 2016.
Zika has raised concerns because it is known that pregnant women who contract the disease can pass it on to babies who are then born with disabilities.
The project, led by Argentinian scientists, aims to reduce the number of Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya infections among community members.
This project was implemented when dengue fever spread throughout Argentina in very large numbers.
The country’s Ministry of Health recorded more than 130,000 confirmed cases in 2023 with 68 deaths.
Experts say one of the benefits of this technique is the absence of poison and avoiding the traditional method of spraying pesticides. This approach eliminates human or animal exposure to toxins that can cause other health problems.
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Scientists have made great progress in recent decades in reducing the threat of mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria. But dengue fever is an exception: its transmission rate continues to increase.
Independent biologist and researcher Andrea Noemi Avalos said this technique looks promising, “I see the Sterile Insect Technique in Argentina as advanced and promising. This technique has an extraordinary success rate in controlling fruit flies. So, I think this technique has great potential to control the vector of Dengue Fever, Aedes aegypti, and I believe we have all the necessary techniques to carry it out.”
Health officials in Argentina are now preparing for the next big wave of dengue fever, which is expected to occur between January and April 2024. [lt/my]
2024-01-03 02:36:43
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