Faced with an explosion in dengue cases, Brazil has decided to deal with mosquitoes in its own way… by introducing, in the most affected areas, genetically modified mosquitoes carrying a deadly gene for females, responsible for the transmission of the disease.
The dengue crisis in Brazil has reached alarming proportions, with more than a million cases reported in just two months, marking an increase of 226% compared to 2023. Faced with this situation, Brazilian authorities have decided to treat evil with evil, releasing into nature mosquitoesmosquitoes genetically modified to reduce transmission of the virus. These male mosquitoes, carrying a deadly gene for their female offspring, are designed to reduce the mosquito population Aedes aegypti, vectors of the disease. This strategy, already tested in the United States, aims to reduce the mosquito population in treated areas by up to 90%.
Fight the mosquito with the mosquito
The dengue, endemicendemic in Brazil, represents a significant threat since almost half of the world’s population lives in risk areas. Symptoms of the disease, ranging from feverfever headaches and nausea, can develop into serious forms requiring hospitalization. The virus is spread through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegyptivery present in urban areas.
Although this novel approach has shown promising results, some scientists remain concerned about the potential impact onecosystemecosystem and fear that genetically modified mosquitoes could survive and breed in the wild, creating an even more robust population. In addition, changes in mosquito populations could have repercussions on the food chainfood chain, particularly if other organisms rely on mosquitoes as a food source. Environmental risk aside, there is currently no evidence to indicate any danger to humans.
