Suppression of a Field Population of Aedes aegypti in Brazil by Sustained Release of Transgenic Male Mosquitoes
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The increasing burden of dengue, and the relative failure of traditional vector control programs highlight the need to develop new control methods. SIT using self-limiting genetic technology is one such promising method. A self-limiting strain of Aedes aegypti, OX513A, has already reached the stage of field evaluation. Sustained releases of OX513A Ae. aegypti males led to 80% suppression of a target wild Ae. aegypti population in the Cayman Islands in 2010. Here we describe sustained series of field releases of OX513A Ae. aegypti males in a suburb of Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil. This study spanned over a year and reduced the local Ae. aegypti population by 95% (95% CI: 92.2%-97.5%) based on adult trap data and 81% (95% CI: 74.9-85.2%) based on ovitrap indices compared to the adjacent no-release control area. The mating competitiveness of the released males (0.031; 95% CI: 0.025-0.036) was similar to that estimated in the Cayman trials (0.059; 95% CI: 0.011 – 0.210), indicating that environmental and target-strain differences had little impact on the mating success of the OX513A males. We conclude that sustained release of OX513A males may be an effective and widely useful method for suppression of the key dengue vector Ae. aegypti. The observed level of suppression would likely be sufficient to prevent dengue epidemics in the locality tested and other areas with similar or lower transmission.
Date Issued
2015-07-02
Date Acceptance
2015-06-01
Citation
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2015, 9 (7)
ISSN
1935-2735
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Journal / Book Title
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Volume
9
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2015 Carvalho et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Grant Number
MR/K010174/1B
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Infectious Diseases
Parasitology
Tropical Medicine
ENGINEERED MALE MOSQUITOS
STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE
LETHAL GENETIC SYSTEM
BORNE DISEASES
DENGUE
SINGAPORE
DOMINANT
TEPHRITIDAE
ERADICATION
DIPTERA
Adult
Aedes
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Brazil
Dengue
Female
Humans
Insect Vectors
Male
Pest Control, Biological
06 Biological Sciences
11 Medical And Health Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e0003864