Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41612443›Full record

ArticleInfectious diseases of poverty2026

Field implementation of the sterile insect technique against Aedes aegypti in Recife, Brazil: operational challenges and impact of release frequency on vector dynamics.

Aline Taiane Macedo, Danilo O Carvalho, Maylen Gomez, Bianca Pires, Mirian Brito, Nilton Sousa, Aricia R P da Cruz, Helen Jamil Khoury, Jair F Virginio

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious diseases of poverty, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Aline Taiane Macedo *Biofacility Moscamed Brasil, Sterile Aedes Production, Block D-13, Plot 15, São Francisco Industrial District, Juazeiro, Brazil.
Danilo O Carvalho *Joint Food and Agriculture Organization & International Atomic Energy Agency Program of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria. carvalhodanilo85@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8168-4050
Maylen GomezJoint Food and Agriculture Organization & International Atomic Energy Agency Program of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria.
Bianca PiresBiofacility Moscamed Brasil, Sterile Aedes Production, Block D-13, Plot 15, São Francisco Industrial District, Juazeiro, Brazil.
Mirian BritoBiofacility Moscamed Brasil, Sterile Aedes Production, Block D-13, Plot 15, São Francisco Industrial District, Juazeiro, Brazil.
Nilton SousaBiofacility Moscamed Brasil, Sterile Aedes Production, Block D-13, Plot 15, São Francisco Industrial District, Juazeiro, Brazil.
Aricia R P da CruzNuclear Energy Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Helen Jamil KhouryNuclear Energy Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Jair F VirginioBiofacility Moscamed Brasil, Sterile Aedes Production, Block D-13, Plot 15, São Francisco Industrial District, Juazeiro, Brazil.

Funding

Brazilian Health Ministry 861452/2017International Atomic Energy Agency BRA5061
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmentally friendly tool for suppressing Aedes aegypti populations. While promising in controlled settings, its application in large urban environments presents logistical and biological challenges. This trial focused on releasing sterile males, sent from a long-distance production facility to suppress the local mosquito population.

methodsSterile males of Ae. aegypti were mass-reared, irradiated, and transported 712.2 km from a central facility to Recife, Brazil. Releases were performed once (SIT 1 ×) or twice per week (SIT 2 ×). Entomological indices-including eggs/trap per day (ETD), hatch rate, induced sterility, and adult female abundance-were monitored through ovitraps and BG-Sentinel traps. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and Bayesian time-series modeling (CausalImpact).

resultsDose-response experiments established that pupae required 35 Gy and adults 65 Gy to achieve > 99% sterility, with no difference between gamma and X-ray sources. Adult sterilization was effective across 24-96 h post-emergence, facilitating operational flexibility. Handling and transport reduced flight ability by up to 35 percentage points, highlighting cumulative stress effects. In field trials, SIT 1 × yielded limited suppression, with ETD values remaining similar to or higher than those of the control. In contrast, SIT 2 × produced consistent suppression, reducing ETD by 39%, hatch rate by 33%, and female abundance by 51%.

conclusionsIn this study, increasing the release frequency was essential to achieve significant model outcomes, representing varying degrees of mild suppression of Ae. aegypti in a complex urban setting. In Addition, male handling, chilling, and transport emphasize the need to reduce the exposure to these parameters by improving the protocols. These results highlight key areas for scaling SIT within integrated vector management strategies in tropical urban settings.

Indexed as

AedesMosquito ControlMosquito VectorsPest Control, BiologicalAnimalsBrazilFemaleMalePopulation DynamicsAedes aegyptiField trialIrradiationMosquito suppressionPopulation dynamicsSterile insect techniqueVector control

Identifiers

PMID41612443
PMCPMC12853722

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.