Brazil Opens World's Largest Mosquito Factory to Curb Dengue Spread

Brazil has launched the world's largest mosquito factory in Curitiba to combat dengue, a disease that killed over 6,300 people in the country in 2024, the deadliest year on record. The factory produces 100 million Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs weekly, all infected with Wolbachia bacteria, which blocks the transmission of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses. Infected mosquitoes released into the wild breed with local populations, spreading Wolbachia and reducing disease transmission sustainably, with pilot programs showing reductions in dengue cases by up to 90% in treated cities. The initiative is a partnership between the World Mosquito Program, Brazil's Ministry of Health, and scientific institutions, aiming to protect up to 140 million Brazilians in coming years. Complementing this effort, Brazil is also preparing to roll out a locally developed dengue vaccine expected to begin mass administration in 2026, offering protection against all four dengue virus serotypes. This dual approach addresses the urgent need as dengue continues to spread to new regions and conventional control methods fall short.