Development of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) package for mosquito population control

Abstract

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are bloodsucking vector insects of major human pathogens including Plasmodium, dengue and chikungunya which cause infectious diseases resulting to severe morbidity or lethality. According to World Health Organization (WHO), malaria transmitting mosquito species are responsible for more than 600,000 deaths annually, mainly very young children, while more than 2.5 billion people in over 100 countries are at risk due to dengue transmitting mosquitoes. In the absence of efficient, safe and inexpensive drugs and vaccines to combat malaria, dengue and chikungunya, research efforts have focused on the population control of mosquito vector species (mainly Aedes and Anopheles species). In this presentation, I will review recent advances on the development and application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) package for mosquitoes as well as in the field of transgenic and symbiont-based approaches. The pros and cons of each one of these methods, and of their potential combination, will be discussed as well as issues regarding their regulatory approval, stability, sustainability, biosecurity, intellectual property, economic costs and quality control. The results of field trials and future challenges will also be presented.