Pilot trial using mass field-releases of sterile males produced with the incompatible and sterile insect techniques as part of integrated Aedes aegypti control in Mexico

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Abdiel Martín-Park, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Azael Che-Mendoza, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Yamili Contreras-Perera, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Silvia Pérez-Carrillo, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Henry Puerta-Guardo, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Josué Villegas-Chim, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Guillermo Guillermo-May, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Anuar Medina-Barreiro, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Hugo Delfin-Gonzalez, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Rosa Méndez-Vales, Servicios de Salud de Yucatán; Santos Vazquez-Narvaez, Servicios de Salud de Yucatán; Jorge Palacio-Vargas, Servicios de Salud de Yucatán; Fabián Correa-Morales, Ctr Nacl Programas Preventivos & Control Enfermed; Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Norma Pavia-Ruz, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Xiao Liang, Michigan State University; Ping Fu, Michigan State University; Dongjing Zhang, Sun Yat Sen Univ Michigan State Univ Joint Ctr Ve; Xiaohua Wang, Guangzhou Wolbaki Biotech Co Ltd; María Eugenia Toledo-Romani, Inst Med Trop Pedro Kouri IPK; Zhiyong Xi, Michigan State University; Gonzalo Vazquez Prokopec, Emory University; Pablo Manrique-Saide, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-04-01
• Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Martín-Park et al
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010324
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: e0010324
• End Page: e0010324
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was funded by grant YUC-2017-03-01-556 awarded to PMS by the Fondo Mixto Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) (México)-Gobierno del Estado de Yucatán and grant AID-OAA-F-16-00082 awarded to ZX by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). AM-P is supported by the Catedras-CONACYT program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Keywords: INVASION; TRANSMISSION; ZIKA VIRUS; ALBOPICTUS; DENGUE; CHIKUNGUNYA; Parasitology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Infectious Diseases; Science & Technology; DIPTERA-CULICIDAE; Tropical Medicine; ESTABLISHMENT; WOLBACHIA; POPULATION
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Biology, Microbiology

Abstract

Background The combination of Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and radiation-based sterile insect technique (SIT) can be used for population suppression of Aedes aegypti. Our main objective was to evaluate whether open-field mass-releases of wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males, as part of an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) plan led by the Mexican Ministry of Health, could suppress natural populations of Ae. aegypti in urban-ized settings in south Mexico. Methodology/Principal findings We implemented a controlled before-and-after quasi-experimental study in two suburban localities of Yucatan (Mexico): San Pedro Chimay (SPC), which received IIT-SIT, and San Antonio Tahdzibichén used as control. Release of wAlbB Ae. aegypti males at SPC extended for 6 months (July-December 2019), covering the period of higher Ae. aegypti abundance. Entomological indicators included egg hatching rates and outdoor/indoor adult females collected at the release and control sites. Approximately 1,270,000 lab-produced wAlbB-infected Ae. aegypti males were released in the 50-ha treatment area (2,000 wAlbB Ae. aegypti males per hectare twice a week in two different release days, totaling 200,000 male mosquitoes per week). The efficacy of IIT-SIT in suppressing indoor female Ae. aegypti density (quantified from a generalized linear mixed model showing a statistically significant reduction in treatment versus control areas) was 90.9% a month after initiation of the suppression phase, 47.7% two months after (when number of released males was reduced in 50% to match local abundance), 61.4% four months after (when initial number of released males was re-established), 88.4% five months after and 89.4% at six months after the initiation of the suppression phase. A proportional, but lower, reduction in outdoor female Ae. aegypti was also quantified (range, 50.0–75.2% suppression). Conclusions/Significance Our study, the first open-field pilot implementation of Wolbachia IIT-SIT in Mexico and Latin-America, confirms that inundative male releases can significantly reduce natural populations of Ae. aegypti. More importantly, we present successful pilot results of the integration of Wolbachia IIT-SIT within a IVM plan implemented by Ministry of Health personnel.