Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece
The sterile insect technique (SIT) involves releasing large numbers of sterile males to outcompete wild males in mating with females, leading to a decline in pest populations. In the current study, we conducted a suppression trial in Greece against the invasive dengue vector mosquito Aedes albopictu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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EDP Sciences
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Parasite |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.parasite-journal.org/articles/parasite/full_html/2024/01/parasite230170/parasite230170.html |
| _version_ | 1797235246882619392 |
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| author | Balatsos Georgios Karras Vasileios Puggioli Arianna Balestrino Fabrizio Bellini Romeo Papachristos Dimitrios P. Milonas Panagiotis G. Papadopoulos Nikos T. Malfacini Marco Carrieri Marco Kapranas Apostolos Mamai Wadaka Mastronikolos George Lytra Ioanna Bouyer Jérémy Michaelakis Antonios |
| author_facet | Balatsos Georgios Karras Vasileios Puggioli Arianna Balestrino Fabrizio Bellini Romeo Papachristos Dimitrios P. Milonas Panagiotis G. Papadopoulos Nikos T. Malfacini Marco Carrieri Marco Kapranas Apostolos Mamai Wadaka Mastronikolos George Lytra Ioanna Bouyer Jérémy Michaelakis Antonios |
| author_sort | Balatsos Georgios |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The sterile insect technique (SIT) involves releasing large numbers of sterile males to outcompete wild males in mating with females, leading to a decline in pest populations. In the current study, we conducted a suppression trial in Greece against the invasive dengue vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) through the weekly release of sterile males for 22 weeks from June to September 2019. Our approach included the long-distance transport of sterile mosquitoes, and their release at a density of 2,547 ± 159 sterile males per hectare per week as part of an area-wide integrated pest management strategy (AW-IPM). The repeated releases of sterile males resulted in a gradual reduction in egg density, reaching 78% from mid-June to early September. This reduction remained between 70% and 78% for four weeks after the end of the releases. Additionally, in the SIT intervention area, the ovitrap index, representing the percentage of traps containing eggs, remained lower throughout the trial than in the control area. This trial represents a significant advance in the field of mosquito control, as it explores the viability and efficacy of producing and transporting sterile males from a distant facility to the release area. Our results provide valuable insights for future SIT programmes targeting Ae. Albopictus, and the methodology we employed can serve as a starting point for developing more refined and effective release protocols, including the transportation of sterile males over long distances from production units to intervention areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:44:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48b1d71be60b417aaaf67978db5a0d25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1776-1042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:44:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | EDP Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasite |
| spelling | doaj.art-48b1d71be60b417aaaf67978db5a0d252024-03-29T08:32:45ZengEDP SciencesParasite1776-10422024-01-01311710.1051/parasite/2024020parasite230170Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in GreeceBalatsos Georgios0Karras Vasileios1Puggioli Arianna2Balestrino Fabrizio3Bellini Romeo4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9336-9111Papachristos Dimitrios P.5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0524-0180Milonas Panagiotis G.6Papadopoulos Nikos T.7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2480-8189Malfacini Marco8Carrieri Marco9Kapranas Apostolos10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5542-0470Mamai Wadaka11Mastronikolos George12Lytra Ioanna13Bouyer Jérémy14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1913-416XMichaelakis Antonios15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3075-5020Scientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteCentro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureCentro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”Scientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteDepartment of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of ThessalyCentro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”Laboratory of Applied Zoology and Parasitology (Entomology), School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiInsect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureDepartment of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of ThessalyScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteInsect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and AgricultureScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological InstituteThe sterile insect technique (SIT) involves releasing large numbers of sterile males to outcompete wild males in mating with females, leading to a decline in pest populations. In the current study, we conducted a suppression trial in Greece against the invasive dengue vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) through the weekly release of sterile males for 22 weeks from June to September 2019. Our approach included the long-distance transport of sterile mosquitoes, and their release at a density of 2,547 ± 159 sterile males per hectare per week as part of an area-wide integrated pest management strategy (AW-IPM). The repeated releases of sterile males resulted in a gradual reduction in egg density, reaching 78% from mid-June to early September. This reduction remained between 70% and 78% for four weeks after the end of the releases. Additionally, in the SIT intervention area, the ovitrap index, representing the percentage of traps containing eggs, remained lower throughout the trial than in the control area. This trial represents a significant advance in the field of mosquito control, as it explores the viability and efficacy of producing and transporting sterile males from a distant facility to the release area. Our results provide valuable insights for future SIT programmes targeting Ae. Albopictus, and the methodology we employed can serve as a starting point for developing more refined and effective release protocols, including the transportation of sterile males over long distances from production units to intervention areas.https://www.parasite-journal.org/articles/parasite/full_html/2024/01/parasite230170/parasite230170.htmlegg densityegg hatching ratessterile male insect transportationmosquito borne diseasespublic health |
| spellingShingle | Balatsos Georgios Karras Vasileios Puggioli Arianna Balestrino Fabrizio Bellini Romeo Papachristos Dimitrios P. Milonas Panagiotis G. Papadopoulos Nikos T. Malfacini Marco Carrieri Marco Kapranas Apostolos Mamai Wadaka Mastronikolos George Lytra Ioanna Bouyer Jérémy Michaelakis Antonios Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece Parasite egg density egg hatching rates sterile male insect transportation mosquito borne diseases public health |
| title | Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece |
| title_full | Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece |
| title_fullStr | Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece |
| title_short | Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) field trial targeting the suppression of Aedes albopictus in Greece |
| title_sort | sterile insect technique sit field trial targeting the suppression of aedes albopictus in greece |
| topic | egg density egg hatching rates sterile male insect transportation mosquito borne diseases public health |
| url | https://www.parasite-journal.org/articles/parasite/full_html/2024/01/parasite230170/parasite230170.html |
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