Start
June 21, 2016 - 7:00 am
End
June 21, 2016 - 11:30 am
Address
Bentley Campus, Perth, WA View mapFemales of the mosquito species Aedes aegypti are carriers of dengue. Sterile insect technique campaigns, like that being carried out in Havana, Cuba, rely on sterilizing males that attempt to breed with wild females — neutralizing the female’s reproductive potential too. (Photo: R. Gato Armas/Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute)
In Cuba, like in most tropical countries, dengue is a growing problem. Transmitted by mosquitoes, this viral infection causes high fever, muscle and joint pains, skin rashes, and, in the most severe cases, death. Globally, the number of dengue cases reported to the World Health Organization has increased eight-fold over the last two decades. The Cuban government is therefore aiming to tackle the spread of dengue by piloting a nuclear technique which can decrease mosquito populations.