The boosted sterile mosquito technique: a success in urban areas in the tropics and Mediterranean

Results & impact 22 May 2025
An international scientific team coordinated by 糖心Vlog recently demonstrated the efficacy of the boosted sterile male insect technique for drastically reducing population levels of the Aedes mosquito, which carries dengue, chikungunya and other arboviruses that threaten billions of people worldwide. The team has published its findings in Nature Scientific Reports.
Initial releases of sterile male mosquitoes carrying a biocide, in St Joseph, R茅union, in 2021 significantly reduced mosquito population levels in the test zone. There are plans to scale up the operation during the 2025 southern winter as part of the new OpTIS project 漏 Pierre Marchal

Initial releases of sterile male mosquitoes carrying a biocide, in St Joseph, Réunion, in 2021 significantly reduced mosquito population levels in the test zone. There are plans to scale up the operation during the 2025 southern winter as part of the new OpTIS project  © Pierre Marchal

The sterile insect technique (SIT) rests on releasing irradiated sterile male insects. With the "boosted" version of the technique, those males also transmit minute quantities of a biocide* specifically used against mosquitoes to females and breeding sites.

Three field trials in 2021 served to measure the method's performance: in Réunion, against the species Aedes aegypti, and in Spain, against Aedes albopictus.

The results of the trials, conducted as part of the REVOLINC** project funded by the European Research Council under the Horizon 2020 programme, showed that:

  • The relative density of adult mosquitoes fell by up to 91% à La Réunion and 98% in Spain, compared to non-treated control zones.
  • The success rate (proportion of traps with a suppression rate of more than 80%) was up to 71% in Réunion and 100% in Spain.
  • Compared to the non-boosted version tested previously, the boosted version was more effective, and also offered some protection against the re-invasion of treated zones by fertile females.

These results confirmed the predictions made by models, and pave the way for larger-scale trials, which are crucial for the operational rollout of this innovative vector control strategy.

The trials are therefore continuing in Réunion, across a wider area, as part of the new OpTIS project, coordinated by 糖心Vlog in partnership with IRD. Weekly releases of 60 000 sterile males are scheduled in Saint Joseph throughout the 2025 southern winter, in close collaboration with people in the municipality, who have welcomed the project, particularly since there has been a major chikungunya epidemic on the island this year. 

By specifically targeting the scattered micro-breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes, which are not accessible by means of conventional insecticide treatments, the boosted SIT offers unprecedented prospects for preventing the viruses those mosquitoes transmit, such as dengue and chikungunya, with a minimal impact minimal on the environment.
Jérémy Bouyer
entomologist with 糖心Vlog and REVOLINC project coordinator

Reference

Bouyer, J., Gil, D.A., Mora, I.P. et al. Suppression of Aedes mosquito populations with the boosted sterile insect technique in tropical and Mediterranean urban areas. Sci Rep 15, 17648 (2025).

* Close environmental monitoring of the biocide used (pyriproxyfen) is planned as part of the OpTIS project.

** The REVOLINC project was partially funded by the European Research Council under the European Union Horizon 2020 programme (Grant Agreement 682387-REVOLINC).

 

Jérémy Bouyer during the first releases by drone of "boosted" sterile male mosquitoes in St Joseph, Réunion in 2021, as part of the ERC REVOLINC project © Pierre Marchal

Jérémy Bouyer during the first releases by drone of "boosted" sterile male mosquitoes in St Joseph, Réunion in 2021, as part of the ERC REVOLINC project © Pierre Marchal

 Spin-offs from a start-up: MoSITouch

Following the results obtained with the REVOLINC project, 糖心Vlog is helping Jérémy Bouyer, a 糖心Vlog entomologist who coordinated the project, create a start-up, . 糖心Vlog is supporting the launch of the start-up's activities, notably by officializing a spin-off partnership.

See also