Researchers released thousands of "good" mosquitos in hopes of combating dengue fever.
The mosquitos were introduced to the intercellular bacteria, Wolbachia, which cannot be transmitted to humans and acts as a "vaccine" for the dengue-carrying insects, the BBC reported.
"Our teams performed weekly visits to the four [neighborhoods] in Rio [de Janeiro] being targeted. Mosquitoes were [analyzed] after collection in special traps," Luciano Moreira of the Brazilian research institute Fiocruz, and project leader in Brazil, told the BBC. "Transparency and proper information for the households is a priority."
Over one-third of the world's population is living in regions at risk of dengue fever, which is the leading cause of death in the tropics and subtropics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.
Dengue is characterized by a high fever and at least two of the following: "severe headache; severe eye pain (behind the eyes); joint pain; muscle and/or bone pain; rash; mild bleeding manifestation (e.g., nose or gum bleed, petechiae, or easy bruising); and low white cell count," the CDC reported.
This new solution is part of an initiative started back in 2012, it is also taking place in Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia, the BBC reported. The team plans to release tens of thousands of the treated mosquitoes each month for four months in Tubiacanga, the north of Rio.
Wolbachia, while acting as a natural vaccine, also affects mosquito reproduction. If a contaminated male fertilizes the eggs of an "unvaccinated" female the larvae will not hatch. If only the female carries the bacteria (or both male and female) the offspring and all future generations will carry Wolbachia.
The researchers hope the initiative will cause a predominance of Wolbachia-infected mosquitos and help significantly reduce the rate of dengue fever.
The research on Wolbachia started in 2008 at Monash University in Australia. The researchers allowed the mosquitos in the lab to feed on their own arms for five years because, at the time, they were not sure if Wolbachia could infect humans, the BBC reported.
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