A reduce and replace strategy for suppressing vector-borne diseases: insights from a stochastic, spatial model.

ABSTRACT: Two basic strategies have been proposed for using transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to decrease dengue virus transmission: population reduction and population replacement. Here we model releases of a strain of Ae. aegypti carrying both a gene causing conditional adult female mortality and a gene blocking virus transmission into a wild population to assess whether such releases could reduce the number of competent vectors. We find this "reduce and replace" strategy can decrease the frequency of competent vectors below 50% two years after releases end. Therefore, this combined approach appears preferable to releasing a strain carrying only a female-killing gene, which is likely to merely result in temporary population suppression. However, the fixation of anti-pathogen genes in the populat

SUBMITTER: Okamoto KW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3869666 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature