Hard-hit Brazilians are gaining another layer of defense against the mosquito-spread dengue fever, known by many as break-bone fever, Reuters reported.
The critical aid comes via the July 19 opening of the world's largest mosquito biofactory in Curitiba, Brazil: the Wolbito do Brasil plant. Lab-grown mosquitoes infected with a special bacteria will be strategically released in response to local hotspots for the virus. This bacterium, which only survives in living insect cells, prevents those same insects from spreading viruses like dengue. The hope is that it will slow the rapid movement of a dangerous disease that is increased by the warmer weather.
"Wolbito do Brasil will be able to protect around 7 million people in Brazil every six months," Luciano Moreira, the chief executive, told the news outlet.
Dengue fever is a source of misery even for survivors, with extreme joint and muscle pain among the symptoms. Tiredness, headache, rash, and vomiting are also signs of the disease, per the World Health Organization. Death is rare, but the experience is still brutal.
The disease is a health issue for tropical and subtropical areas, including parts of Brazil. Brazil's climate has been getting warmer, making it easier for mosquitoes to breed and spread the disease farther.
The mosquito breeding and release program was already underway in other parts of the country beginning in 2014. More than five million people were protected, per Reuters.
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Now, Wolbito do Brasil intends to scale up with the new massive insect factory. The lab's work will help protect 140 million people in the coming years as a joint venture between the World Mosquito Program, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, and the Institute of Molecular Biology of Parana. Cars will dispatch lab-grown mosquitoes at hotspots.
The effort could have a big environmental and human impact. For decades, dengue has been a significant issue in Brazil, where 2024 saw a record 6,297 deaths from the virus.
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