Eggs Laid Through Mating But Not Hatched
Ecuador "Expecting Health Improvement and Reduced Insecticide Use"
In the Galapagos Islands, known as a 'living natural history museum' with various endemic species, a large-scale release of 'sterile' mosquitoes is planned to prevent infectious diseases.
On the 8th (local time), Ecuadorian daily newspapers El Universo and El Comercio reported that the National Institute of Public Health Research (Inspi) of Ecuador is scheduled to release 100,000 male mosquitoes infected with bacteria in the village of Bellavista on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands on the 10th. These male mosquitoes have been developed using a 'sterilization' technology researched and developed in Ecuador over six years, designed so that when they mate with wild female mosquitoes, the females lay eggs that do not hatch.
The research team stated, "This is a measure to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit diseases such as dengue fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya." Additionally, the Ecuadorian government expects that releasing sterile mosquitoes will improve residents' health conditions, reduce the use of chemical products such as mosquito insecticides, and also enhance the safety of visitors to the Galapagos.
A view of 'Las Grietas,' a famous spot on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]
This project, funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical cooperation funds, involved participation from many domestic and international institutions and organizations in Ecuador, including the Galapagos Biosafety and Control Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the Bellavista community.
In Ecuador, 173 cases of dengue fever were reported in January alone. Dengue fever is a disease caused by mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus biting humans, characterized as an acute febrile illness with high fever. It features severe headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, loss of appetite, and red spots spreading over the body, sometimes accompanied by mild bleeding.
Meanwhile, Ecuador has also reported its first cases of chikungunya, suspected to have been introduced from Paraguay. In Paraguay, 27,029 chikungunya cases have occurred over the past seven weeks, with 28 deaths so far due to underlying conditions and other factors. First identified in Tanzania, Africa, in 1952, chikungunya means 'to become contorted' in the Makonde language. The disease causes high fever, muscle pain, and joint pain, and if symptoms become chronic, they can last from several months to years. Since there are no specific preventive measures, vaccines, or treatments, avoiding mosquito bites is the best protection.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
