Rio releases new mosquitoes used to fight dengue fever
On Tuesday (Abr. 2), the municipality of Rio de Janeiro started a new release of wolbitos—Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria. The microorganisms are used to combat arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, as they prevent the viruses that cause these diseases from developing inside their main carrier, the Aedes aegypti.The idea is to make releases in at least three neighborhoods in the city over 20 weeks to expand the population of these mosquitoes.After being released into the environment, females contaminated with Wolbachia mate with mosquitoes without the bacteria. The offspring of these crosses are born with the bacteria, thus without the ability to transmit the diseases. If all goes well, over time the wolbito population will increase, reducing ...