Brazil experiences a fourfold increase in dengue fever cases in early 2024 after the introduction of gene-edited mosquitos by the UN’s World Mosquito Program, which is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
By yourNEWS Media Staff
The United Nations’ World Mosquito Program, last year, announced a major initiative to release billions of gene-edited mosquitos across Brazil, an effort backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This program was designed to combat dengue fever by introducing Aedes aegypti mosquitos infected with Wolbachia bacteria, which is intended to inhibit the transmission of the dengue virus to humans.
Despite these measures, Brazil has witnessed a significant spike in dengue fever cases in the first five weeks of 2024, with over 364,000 reported instances. This marks a 400% increase compared to the same period in the previous year, prompting the country to procure millions of dengue vaccine doses.
The Guardian reports that the rapid escalation of dengue infections has resulted in 40 confirmed deaths, with an additional 265 cases under investigation. To counter this outbreak, Brazil has acquired 5.2 million doses of the dengue vaccine Qdenga, developed by Takeda, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, alongside 1.32 million doses provided free of charge to the government.
Emergencies have been declared in three Brazilian states, including Minas Gerais and the Federal District, where Brasília, the capital, is situated. Brasília, in particular, has seen an unprecedented surge in dengue cases, exceeding the total number recorded for the entire year of 2023. The city is set to commence vaccination for children aged 10-14 with Qdenga.
The World Mosquito Program’s strategy involves releasing Aedes aegypti mosquitos modified with Wolbachia into five Brazilian cities. This groundbreaking approach aims to shield up to 70 million people from dengue over the next decade. A new factory, set to begin operations in 2024, will have the capacity to produce five billion of these modified mosquitos annually, as reported by Harvard Public Health in August 2023.
However, the expected decline in dengue cases has not materialized; instead, there has been a notable increase. This development has drawn attention to the World Mosquito Program’s funding sources, including a $50 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation is also funding research into the dengue fever vaccine, linking it to various aspects of the response to the dengue crisis in Brazil. Takeda, the manufacturer of the Qdenga vaccine, has received significant grants from the Gates Foundation as well, highlighting the interconnected roles of philanthropy, biotechnology, and public health in addressing global health challenges.
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