Wolbachia as a New Tool to Control Aedes Aegipty and Aedes Albopictus in Cuba

Grants and Contracts Details

Description

Dengue outbreaks and epidemics have occurred intermittently in Cuba from 2001 until today. And recently, imported chikungunya cases and imported and autochthonous cases of Zika have been diagnosed. The National Campaign against Aedes aegypti was initiated following the 1981 dengue epidemic. The National Campaign employs regular surveillance and destruction of breeding sites (i.e., source reduction), intensive use of larvicides and adulticides, and educational campaigns to prevent the formation of new breeding sites. Although the campaign has achieved the elimination of vectors in many areas of the island, Ae aegypti populations continue to thrive in some urban environments. The remaining populations of Ae. aegypti, together with environmental and social risks, represent an open potential for dengue, chikungunya and zika outbreaks, principally in Havana city. These Ae. aegypti populations are considered the most difficult to eliminate. Notably, the rates of infestation increase in the rainy season, generating, along with other factors, a high risk of transmission of dengue, zika and chikungunya. Our previous work demonstrating insecticidal resistance to some of the insecticides used in Cuba raises concern about the sustainability of current methods (Rodríguez et al., 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, Bisset et al., 2004, 2006a, 2006b, 2011, 2013, Saavedra et al., 2007). The remnant populations that survive the effect of chemical control have been shown to carry insecticide resistance genes, which they pass to new generations of mosquitoes, affecting the subsequent success of control strategies. Hence the need to combine several methods and control alternatives to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of actions. In the proposed work, we plan to investigate Wolbachia as an additional tool to contribute to the sustainable control and to the elimination of the remaining populations of Ae. aegypti.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date8/1/1912/31/21

Funding

  • Civilian Research and Development Foundation: $20,055.00

Fingerprint

Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.