Brazil Creates 'Good' Mosquito Factory to Eliminate 'Bad' Mosquitoes

Brazil has developed a factory producing 'good' mosquitoes to eliminate 'bad' ones. What's the story? Let's take a look.

Brazil has unveiled the world's largest 'mosquito biofactory', producing mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria. These are termed 'good' mosquitoes because they help prevent diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Located in Curitiba, Brazil, this factory collaborates with the country's Ministry of Health. It will produce 100 million eggs weekly, protecting 14 million people from disease-carrying 'bad' mosquitoes.

Why Brazil for the 'Good Mosquito Factory'?

Dengue fever ravaged Brazil in 2024, making it the worst year on record. Nearly 6.5 million dengue cases were reported, resulting in 6,297 deaths. Dengue is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Traditional methods like insecticide sprays proved ineffective. Therefore, supported by the World Mosquito Program since 2014, the Wolbachia-infected mosquito method was implemented, leading to the creation of the 'good mosquito factory' in Brazil.

The Origin of Wolbachia Bacteria

Wolbachia is a naturally occurring bacterium found in over 60% of insects. It prevents viruses from multiplying within mosquitoes. The factory releases lab-bred infected mosquitoes into the wild. They mate with wild mosquitoes, passing on the bacteria to the next generation, resulting in subsequent generations of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. Notably, Wolbachia survives only within insect cells; if the mosquito dies, the bacteria also dies.

Brazil's Claimed Biotechnology Leadership

Brazil's Ministry of Health claims that 5 million people across 8 cities have already been protected from mosquitoes. In Niterói, dengue cases decreased by 69%. This demonstrates Brazil's biotechnology leadership. According to the Ministry of Health, vehicles will now circulate in hotspots, releasing mosquitoes, gradually eliminating dengue. The effectiveness of this method was also confirmed by the Nature journal in 2025. Besides dengue, chikungunya cases decreased by 56% and Zika by 37% in Niterói, Brazil.

'Good' Mosquitoes to Protect 7 Million People Every 6 Months

The Curitiba factory, recently opened, is a joint project of several international organisations, including Brazil. It employs 70 people in a 3,500 square metre area. Ten million mosquito eggs are produced weekly. Therefore, it's estimated that these 'good' mosquitoes will protect approximately 7 million people every six months. Automated machines in the factory infect the eggs, which are then released into dengue hotspots via special vehicles.