Government of Minas Gerais completes biofactory work to control dengue fever

In the midst of the worst dengue epidemic in its history, with more than 500 thousand confirmed cases and 304 deaths, Minas Gerais gains a new mechanism to control the disease and other arboviruses, such as zika and chikungunya. This Monday (April 29), the government of Minas Gerais announced the completion of work on the Wolbachia Method biofactory, in Belo Horizonte.

The factory will produce Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria. When present in this mosquito, the bacteria prevents the dengue, Zika, chikungunya and urban yellow fever viruses from developing within it, contributing to the reduction of these diseases. The vectors will be released into the environment to reproduce, gradually establishing a new population of these mosquitoes, all with Wolbachia.

The start of work on the factory was announced on March 27, 2023 by the government of Minas. The unit to control arboviruses was installed on Executive land located in the Gameleira neighborhood, West region of BH. The expectation is that, initially, the production of the vectors will serve municipalities in the Paraopeba river basin affected by the Vale rupture in Brumadinho and nearby locations.

The budgeted value of the work is R$20.1 million. The construction of the equipment was foreseen in the Repair Agreement for the Vale breach in Brumadinho.

Details about the inauguration of the biofactory should be released by the government of Minas Gerais in a press conference this Monday afternoon (29), which will be attended by representatives from the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG), the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) , the Public Defender’s Office of Minas Gerais (DPMG), the Ministry of Health and the World Mosquito Program (WMP) Brazil/Fiocruz.

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