Moscamed releases Oxitec's GM anti-dengue mosquitoes

Moscamed made the first releases of Oxitec GM mosquitoes to mark the launch of a new programme to control the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti in the town of Jacobina in the State of Bahia, Brazil.

In previous trials Moscamed have demonstrated that, using the Oxitec mosquitoes, it is possible to rapidly reduce the number of dengue mosquitoes in a town. In the most recent demonstration in Mandacaru the level of these mosquitoes were reduced by 96% within 6 months and it was shown that this reduction could be maintained for many months including through the time of the year when normally mosquito levels would be at their peak.

The launch of the new programme came at the initiative of Jorge Solla, Secretary of Health for the state of Bahia, who is determined to reduce the threat of dengue fever in the region. In the first three months of 2013, there were 72 registered cases in this city of 48,000 people. There was previously an outbreak with over 1,700 cases and 2 deaths in 2012.