80,000 sterilized male mosquitoes, recognizable by their fluorescent coloring, will be released every week for a year with the aim of reducing the spread of dengue and other diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as Zika and chikungunya
Argentina recently launched an innovative initiative to reduce the spread of dengue and other diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as Zika and chikungunya. The project, managed by the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), involves the release of sterilized males in Ezeiza and Guaymallén, in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
These insects were treated in the laboratory with ionizing radiation to impede their reproductive capacity and are released into the environment to naturally control the Aedes aegypti population. Sterile mosquitoes, recognizable thanks to a special fluorescent coloringdo not pose a risk to the population since they do not bite or transmit diseases.
When these mosquitoes mate with wild females, the lack of fertility of the male specimens prevents playbackhelping to progressively reduce the number of mosquito vectors. The fluorescence, visible under UV light, allows researchers to track and distinguish sterilized insects from wild specimens, making it easier to monitor the project’s effectiveness.
The “sterile insect technique”
This intervention is part of the “sterile insect technique” (SIT), an ecological and pesticide-free method, developed in the 1940s in the United States and promoted internationally by the FAO. SIT has already been successfully used in various countries for the control of other harmful insects, such as fruit flies, and is now also applied to fight against Aedes aegypti in Latin Americaa region heavily affected by dengue epidemics.
In fact, during 2024, suspected cases of dengue in Latin America increased by 215% compared to the previous year, a trend that makes the adoption of innovative control strategies urgent. The release of sterile mosquitoes will be progressive: the project involves the release of 80,000 sterile mosquitoes per week for an entire yearinitially focusing on the 40 hectares of Barrio Uno in Ezeiza.
After the first four months, the wild mosquito population is expected will begin to visibly decrease. The program, developed in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is supported by local structures and includes a system of traps to monitor and evaluate the progress of the initiative.
This technique represents hope for the biological control of mosquito-borne epidemics without resorting to insecticides. Obviously there are active campaigns inviting residents involved in the program to , which are fundamental for the success of this ecological intervention and for the health security of the region.
