In southern Brazil's Joinville, health agents battle mosquito-borne diseases with an innovative approach. The city's second phase of Wolbachia mosquito releases now protects nearly 75 per cent of residents, following first-phase results that showed a 90 per cent reduction in dengue cases. From early morning releases to biofactory operations, the programme brings hope to communities that have suffered devastating outbreaks.
Even by Joinville standards, the frenetic rain is biblical today. Often nicknamed "rainville" by locals, due to being one of the wettest cities in Brazil, verdant Joinville is surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush green valleys.
Despite what the elements may have in store for us, nothing has dampened the mood in a small city biofactory brimming with energy in the early hours. Fuelled by dangerously strong black coffee and armed with crates of mosquito jars, a handful of health agents fill their vehicles ready for releases, as sunrise draws near. In high spirits, the team set off for their two rounds of Wolbachia (known as Wolbito in Brazil) mosquito releases in different parts of Joinville.
Wolbachia expands to Balneário Camboriú and Blumenau
Just days earlier, the bustling Reginaldo de Souza Kock Auditorium was filled with delegates, government representatives, scientists, media and film cameras, for the announcement of the second phase of mosquito releases in the city, alongside further releases in neighbouring Balneário Camboriú and Blumenau.
"The arrival of our Wolbachia method is a fundamental reinforcement in protecting our population," emphasises Aline Leal, Health Secretary of Balneário Camboriú. "This is a safe strategy for people, animals, and the environment, which complements the prevention measures already adopted. We are confident in the results."
Priscila Ferraz, Vice President of Production and Innovation in Health at Fiocruz, adds: "The continued implementation of our Wolbachia method in Santa Catarina represents a benefit for the entire population of the three municipalities, which have been experiencing high dengue transmission in recent years."
90% dengue reduction after Joinville releases
The first phase of releases in Joinville last year covered 17 neighbourhoods protecting roughly 360,000 residents, and early results have shown great promise. This second phase, led by Wolbito do Brasil, will reach almost 75 per cent of the city's population, covering a further 15 neighbourhoods and 150,000 people.
Lúcia Jordan, the sole female releaser and endemic control agent in the team, with Giulia Cattini in the driving seat, are the dream team. As they loop around an area north of the city, onlookers watch with curiosity and interest as Lúcia shakes the container out of the window to release Wolbachia mosquitoes into the local environment. In Joinville, dengue wasn't much of a concern to residents until recent years, as climate change has helped bring mosquito-borne diseases to the south of the country.
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Four days a week, Lúcia rises early and prepares for the releases in the city. She started as an endemic agent in 2023, shortly after suffering from dengue, and wanted to learn more about the country's efforts to reduce mosquito-borne diseases.
"I had dengue just a few weeks before starting to work in environmental surveillance," she says. "It was very hard. A week with lots of pain, no appetite, and a high fever. So from that moment on, when I learned about the Wolbachia project, I decided that I would also fight against this disease."
Lúcia says many people are interested and come to talk with her during releases to ask questions and understand what she's doing, but admits the reception is largely positive.
"While I am releasing the mosquitoes, I feel happy, because to me it is as if I am saving lives — every mosquito that goes out is meant to improve the environment, to stop dengue, and other diseases like Zika and chikungunya."
After the first round of releases, a quick tactical stop for more rocket fuel coffee and to re-fill the cars at the biofactory is needed, before the second releases come to an end around 9.30am.
Bringing hope after dengue epidemic
Tamila Kleine managed the first phase of releases in Joinville and is now regional coordinator of implementation at Wolbito do Brasil. She recalls how badly the community had suffered from mosquito-borne diseases when the project was first introduced to the city.
"When our Wolbachia method arrived in the municipality of Joinville, the region was going through a huge impact related to dengue," emphasises Tamila. "We were coming from a dengue epidemic, with many cases and a high number of deaths. So, the arrival of the method also brought some hope after the implementation of the first phase.
"In Joinville, our Wolbachia method has always had very good acceptance. The first phase had a very positive reception from the population, which has already seen some results from phase one and is eagerly waiting for the releases. Compared to the pre and post-Wolbachia periods, we had a huge reduction in cases, around 90 per cent reduction of dengue cases. However, it is still very recent. We cannot prove that it is solely because of Wolbachia, but it's certainly part of this positive result, along with all the other services and activities carried out by the city's Environmental Surveillance."
Prior to the project starting in Joinville, Tamila was already working on dengue research in the municipality and also focusing more broadly on zoonotic diseases. However, dengue soon became a little more personal.
"The danger of this disease and the fear that someone in my family could get it, someone from my group of friends, from my community. I'm from here. I think it's an even greater motivation to keep going. I'm very happy with everything we managed to achieve last year here in Joinville. Working with our Wolbachia method, having this opportunity. It was something really rewarding for me."
The team protecting Joinville from mosquito-borne diseases
Alvino Rodrigues agrees with Tamila's sentiment. As the regional coordinator in Joinville, he oversees a small team, ensuring production and field operations all run as expected. With a background in Chemistry, Alvino has worked in many multinational companies coordinating laboratory operations and data analysis. He emphasises the importance of community engagement in the preparation phase alongside rigid planning of release routes, the numbers of releasers / cars needed, and potentially adverse weather conditions.
"The diseases that we face with aedes aegypti here in Brazil are big," he says. "So everyone knows or has had a relative who has suffered from dengue, chikungunya or Zika. The opportunity to work and solve this problem, to minimise the (disease) incidence and improve the health of the population as a whole is extremely motivating for me. It's really impacted me in a good way, and that's why I am proud to work in this way."
Alvino believes the impacts of the programme affect many parts of society, from people's livelihoods to the health system.
"Once we minimise the number of deaths or people taken ill, you reduce not only the emotional impact on families, but help take the pressure off the health system, so you can move efforts to other diseases or problems. The fewer people that are sick, the more people you have working and buying, so there's also a big positive impact on the economy.
"Once we have released Wolbitos in the communities, the number of deaths and people needing health services reduced dramatically. It's a bright future for sure and shows the true positive impact of science."
Five million Brazilians now protected by Wolbachia
Joinville joins a host of other cities in Brazil to have implemented WMP's Wolbachia method. The country's first releases of Wolbachia mosquitoes began in September 2014 in Rio de Janeiro. Large-scale deployments in the country followed three years later. WMP's Wolbachia method now protects more than five million people in eight cities including Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Londrina, Foz do Iguaçu, Campo Grande, Joinville, Belo Horizonte, and Petrolina. It is also being currently implemented in Presidente Prudente, Uberlândia, and Natal.
Other municipalities which recently started releases with Wolbito do Brasil, include Valparaíso de Goiás and Luziânia, Goiás; and Brazil's capital city, Brasília. Each is chosen through a careful selection process by the Ministry of Health, and implementation has the strategic support of Fiocruz.
Wolbito do Brasil, the world's largest biofactory breeding Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia, is also fully up and running in Curitiba, just two-hours drive from Joinville. The joint venture between the World Mosquito Program (WMP), Fiocruz, and the Institute of Molecular Biology of Paraná (IBMP), will see more than 100 million mosquito eggs per week, and help dramatically expand access across Brazil to Wolbachia mosquitoes.
Tamila is very positive about the future ambitions of the project. "With the arrival of Wolbito do Brasil and the possibility of bringing Wolbitos to the entire Brazilian population, I can only see salvation, reassurance, and that we can truly serve the whole country," she adds.
