Argentina Changes History, Confronts Chikungunya Outbreak with Sterile Mosquitoes

As the chikungunya outbreak continues in the Region of the Americas, visitors to the Argentine Republic may soon have fewer concerns about this mosquito-transmitted disease.

According to official information, Argentina has begun using sterile male mosquitoes to control chikungunya, dengue, and Zika outbreaks.

Following the signing of an agreement with the Municipality of Ezeiza, the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) has begun releasing sterile male mosquitoes in Barrio Uno for the ecological control of Aedes aegypti, a vector of diseases such as chikungunya.

The virus has garnered attention in Argentina since its introduction to the Region of the Americas in 2013.

The president of the CNEA, Dr. Ing. Germán Guido Lavalle, and the mayor of Ezeiza, Gastón Granados, signed an agreement for the implementation in that municipality of an inter-institutional development program to use the Sterile Insect Technique for the ecological control of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

"This technique consists of irradiating male insects to make them sterile and prevent reproduction. It is effective against many pests, and with our capacity at CNEA, we adapted it for Aedes aegypti."

The release of mosquitoes is planned for the end of November 2024 in the 40 hectares of Barrio Uno, with batches of 80,000 per week for a year. The impact is expected to be noticeable after four months.

According to a recent study, two distinct chikungunya genotypes circulated in Argentina. The Asian lineage during the 2016 epidemic and the ECSA lineage in 2023. 

In early 2023, there was a significant increase in chikungunya cases across various regions of Argentina. Between the 1st and 43rd weeks, 2,314 confirmed cases, mainly autochthonous (local), were reported in nine provinces, including Buenos Aires.

As of November 2024, the Pan American Health Organization reported Argentina had recorded 768 Chikungyna cases this year.

From a prevention perspective, the first vaccine approved to address chikungunya virus infections in adults, Valneva SE's IXCHIQ®, is available in various countries, including the U.S.