Argentina Fights Large Dengue Outbreak with Atomic Radiation
As the world grapples with pandemics, the South American country of Argentina is fighting one of its worst dengue outbreaks in recent years. The mosquito-borne disease has recorded over 41,000 cases in the country this year, which is significantly higher than the equivalent level of previous years of large outbreaks in 2020 and 2016, according to government data. Marianela García Alba, a biologist from the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA), said that “this mosquito, due to the increase in temperature in our country and the world… is capable of spreading further. Its population continues to move further south.”
To fight mosquitoes, CNEA biologists have been experimenting with atomic sterilization since 2016. They are sterilizing 10,000 males a week and aim to increase that number to 500,000. They hope to release the first batch of sterilized males in November. The sterilized mosquitoes are released into the wild, where they mate with wild females that result in offspring that are not viable. Through the successive release of such males, they aim to reduce the population of the vector mosquito.
Biologists are using ionizing energy to sterilize mosquitoes, which alters their DNA. The same radiation used in X-rays is being used to sterilize pests, aiding efforts to control diseases like chikungunya, dengue fever, and Zika. According to García Alba, the mosquitoes’ technique aims to suppressed the mosquito population without bringing any harm to the local ecosystem.
Dengue is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and its symptoms include fever, eye pain, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. The atomic radiation method aims to reduce the dengue outbreak in Argentina without harming the environment or natural resources.
As per information from the source, similar techniques to sterilize pests using the same radiation found in X-rays have been in use for decades, aiding global efforts to control vector-borne diseases. By using atomic radiation for pest control, biologists hope to see a significant reduction in the dengue outbreak in Argentina soon.
In conclusion, Argentina’s endeavors to fight mosquito-borne diseases through atomic radiation are commendable. This approach proves to be beneficial in controlling diseases without harming the environment or natural resources. The success of atomic radiation in pest control could save millions of lives globally, making it a promising response for this and future outbreaks.
