Sterilized Male Mosquitoes- A Magic Tool Against Chikungunya Fever

The chikungunya virus is primarily transmitted through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. When a mosquito bites an infected person, it can become infected itself after 2-10 days and then transmit the virus to another person through a subsequent bite.

The "human-to-mosquito-to-human" transmission chain is the core mode of spread for chikungunya fever.

To combat chikungunya fever, a company in Guangzhou produces 5 million "sterilized male mosquitoes" per week.

Within an unassuming office building in Guangzhou's Huangpu District, a local company is operating at full capacity, producing five million "sterilized male mosquitoes" weekly. Using biotechnology to disrupt the mosquito breeding cycle, this revolutionary "using mosquitoes to combat mosquitoes" technique is building a unique biological control barrier.

Large-scale Mosquito Egg Production Workshop in Huangpu's "Mosquito Factory"

On the morning of August 4th, a reporter visited the production base of this "Mosquito Factory" in Huangpu. Inside a constant-temperature, constant-humidity laboratory, millions of mosquito eggs floated in nutrient solution, resembling fine grains of rice.

It is well known that mosquitoes transmit viruses while feeding on human blood. However, only female mosquitoes bite and suck blood; male mosquitoes do not bite humans or consume blood. In other words, male mosquitoes are harmless to humans. The company produces male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria – "sterilized male mosquitoes." When these males mate with wild female mosquitoes, the resulting eggs cannot hatch. Since female mosquitoes typically mate only once in their lifetime, mating with a "sterilized male" renders their egg-laying futile. Furthermore, once released, the Wolbachia bacteria can spread autonomously within the mosquito population. This means that after several generations of sustained releases, the target mosquito population can be significantly reduced, achieving population suppression and thereby controlling mosquito-borne diseases.

Large-scale Aedes albopictus Larval Rearing Workshop

Since 2015, the company's "using mosquitoes to combat mosquitoes" technology has been trialed in multiple regions across China.

On two small islands in Guangzhou's Nansha District, continuous releases of Wolbachia-carrying male mosquitoes began in 2015. This led to a 90% reduction in the local wild mosquito population, effectively eliminating it. Residents have noticeably experienced a significant decrease in mosquito bites and a great improvement in their living environment.

In Xiashi Village, Jianggao Town, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, the company implemented a "blanket release" strategy. Following a ratio of 5 beneficial mosquitoes per square meter, they released approximately one million Wolbachia-carrying male mosquitoes twice a week, covering the entire residential area of the village. Data shows that mosquito density within the pilot area significantly decreased, with the control rate for Aedes albopictus consistently exceeding 90%. Notably, there have been zero cases of dengue fever reported in the village for seven years.

It is understood that the company currently possesses the capability to produce five million male mosquitoes per week, providing strong support for combating chikungunya fever.

The REACHLINE Chikungunya IgG/IgM Rapid Test is a lateral flow immunoassay for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of IgM and IgG antibodies to Chikungunya virus in human serum, plasma,whole blood. It is intended to be used by professionals as a screening test and provides a preliminary test result to aid in the diagnosis of infection with Chikungunya virus.