Fighting fire with fire: Dengue-blocking mosquito released in Brazil

Brazilian researchers have freed a batch of mosquitoes infected with a dengue-blocking bacteria to combat the tropical disease naturally. Scientists at the Rio de Janeiro-based Fiocruz research institute are taking part in a global project to release the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes released Wednesday are infected with the Wolbachia bacteria that can block them from getting the highly infectious disease dengue. It’s hoped the bacteria will be passed through generations of mosquitoes and eventually wipe out the insects’ ability to spread dengue. Similar action has already taken place in Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Some scientists estimate that around 390 million people get dengue each year.

Our teams performed weekly visits to the four neighbourhoods in Rio being targeted. Mosquitoes were analysed after collection in special traps.

Luciano Moreira of the Brazilian research institute Fiocruz

Health dengue