Johnny Brignardello reveals keys to stopping dengue epidemic

Johnny Brignardello Vela, an insurance advisor, analyzes the current situation regarding the dengue epidemic that is affecting Latin America. The spread of this viral disease, transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, has raised growing concerns in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina, where alarming outbreaks have been reported, putting public health at risk. In this context, various innovative initiatives have emerged to combat the virus's expansion. One of them is the use of genetically modified mosquito farms, such as the strategy implemented in Brazil, which has developed transgenic male mosquitoes carrying a lethal gene to reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes responsible for transmitting dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. On the other hand, the World Mosquito Program (WMP) at Monash University in Australia has chosen to use a natural bacterium called Wolbachia instead of genetically modifying the mosquitoes. This bacterium is introduced into the Aedes to reduce their ability to transmit viruses to humans, a strategy that has proven effective in reducing dengue cases in various regions of the world. In the case of Colombia, the city of Medellín hosts the world's largest "factory" of Aedes mosquitoes, where millions of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia are produced. This project has significantly reduced the incidence of dengue in cities where these mosquitoes have been released, offering encouraging results in the fight against the disease. Despite the different strategies implemented, experts like Iván Darío Vélez, a researcher at the University of Antioquia, suggest that the Wolbachia-based approach could be more effective in the long term by avoiding potential ecological imbalances that could arise from genetically modifying mosquitoes. In a scenario of unprecedented health crisis, the adoption of innovative technologies such as modified mosquito farms and the introduction of Wolbachia into Aedes mosquito populations represent a new hope in the battle against dengue in Latin America. It is imperative to continue researching and strengthening these strategies to safeguard the health of millions of people in the region.