Release of sterile transgenic A. aegypti males over the course of a year in a Brazilian suburb resulted in a 95% reduction in the size of the local A. aegypti population, compared with an adjacent control area (PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015;9[7]:e0003864). Investigators at Colorado State University in Fort Collins have developed a transgenic strain of A. aegypti males carrying a dominant lethal gene resulting in next-generation flightless females that can’t mate or avoid predators (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011;108[12]:4772-5).
In another approach, an international collaborative group has performed field-release trials of A. aegypti mosquitoes deliberately infected with a strain of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia, which renders the insects resistant to dengue virus infection. The group’s mathematical modeling suggested widespread adoption of this approach would reduce dengue virus transmission by 66%-75%. The investigators predicted this would be sufficient to eliminate dengue in low- or moderate-transmission areas but probably wouldn’t accomplish complete control in the highest-risk areas (Sci Transl Med. 2015;7[279]:279ra37).
Dr. Harris reported that the Camino Verde trial was funded by the UBS Optimus Foundation. She reported having no financial conflicts of interest.