A sustainable alternative in the fight against dengue, the Wolbachia method is gaining more and more space in Rio de Janeiro. Starting this Tuesday (2), Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, modified in the laboratory, with the implantation of the Wolbachia bacterium, which has the ability to block the transmission of not only dengue, but also Zika, will be released in three more Rio neighborhoods. and chikungunya.
The method is conducted by Fiocruz, with funding from the Ministry of Health, in partnership with local governments.
Diogo Chalegre, leader of institutional relations in Brazil for the World Mosquito Program, details how the method works. (audio)
The Fiocruz project began in Niterói, in the metropolitan region of Rio, the first city to have 100% coverage of wolbites, as mosquitoes with the bacteria are called.
In the capital of Rio de Janeiro, in the 29 neighborhoods where wolbites were released, researchers point to an average reduction of 38% in dengue cases.
Chalegre highlights, however, that the population and public authorities must continue to take precautions to prevent the proliferation of Aedes.
The project is now present in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul; Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais, and Petrolina, Pernambuco. This year, the method will reach cities in more states, including Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina.
