Research Preview: Nature Magazine – April 27, 2023

Volume 616 Issue 7958

nature Magazine – April 20, 2023 issue:

Massive mosquito factory in Brazil aims to halt dengue

Facility will produce up to five billion bacteria-infected mosquitoes per year

A WMP staff member releases Wolbachia mosquitoes in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro
A World Mosquito Program (WMP) staff member releases Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Niterói, Brazil.Credit: WMP Brasil.

The non-profit World Mosquito Program (WMP) has announced that it will release modified mosquitoes in many of Brazil’s urban areas over the next 10 years, with the aim of protecting up to 70 million people from diseases such as dengue. Researchers have tested the release of this type of mosquito — which carries a Wolbachia bacterium that stops the insect from transmitting viruses — in select cities in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and Vietnam. But this will be the first time that the technology is dispersed nationwide.

Rewilding the planet

An archipelago constructed of sand and mud is bringing new life to a dead lake but can this bold experiment have a lasting impact

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