Brazil's mosquito factory aims to stop dengue fever

Bangkok Post Group

The world's largest biofactory for breeding mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria, a method researchers use to combat dengue, hopes to protect some 140 million people from the disease in Brazil over the coming years. - REUTERS

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00:01The world's most deadly species is being bred to be safer than a mega biofactory in Curitiba, Brazil.

00:08It aims to produce 100 million mosquito eggs each week, infected with the Wobacchia bacteria,

00:15which stops the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from transmitting dengue, a potentially fatal disease.

00:21The World Health Organization says dengue infects hundreds of millions of people every year.

00:27Infected mosquitoes hatched here are released, so that instead of transmitting dengue to humans,

00:33they infect other mosquitoes with the bacteria that doesn't spread to people.

00:38The Wobito do Brazil plant opened in July and has plans to be as impactful as programs seen in other parts of the world,

00:45says production manager Antonio Brandao.

00:48And we have some really great results protecting people.

00:51So in Australia, more than 12 years without circulation of dengue virus.

00:55Only imported cases arrived in the country.

00:58And we had a randomized study control in Indonesia showing a 77 percent of reduction in dengue.

01:07And in Brazil, last week, we are in August, we had the update of the first city, Niteroi,

01:14and showing 89 percent reduction in dengue cases.

01:18Nearly 6,300 people died from dengue in Brazil in 2024, the worst year on record.

01:27The operations team are prioritizing releasing the new mosquitoes into the worst-hit areas to reduce dengue hotspots.

01:37Aunque no.

01:38The housing entry changes have been avoided.

01:40It is a likelihood of a change in the pandemic.

01:42The

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01:48endpoint

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