Cyprus builds Europe’s first sterile mosquito eradication lab

Local AnimalsLarnacaresearchScienceTop News Cyprus builds Europe’s first sterile mosquito eradication lab Mosquito Relevant News Cyprus builds Europe’s first sterile mosquito eradication lab 16 July 2026 Danae Papageorgiou: Animals have a cultural heritage too 16 July 2026 Mostly clear skies with a 40 degree peak today 16 July 2026 newsroom 16 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A pilot programme that released sterile male mosquitoes in Larnaca has succeeded, and Cyprus is now building a laboratory there to breed sterile males on a larger scale, targeting the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti species, according to the health ministry’s public health services department. Researchers released sterile males in one part of the Larnaca area, where Aedes aegypti is established, and fertile males in another, allowing them to compare results directly, the department said. Aedes aegypti spreads the Zika virus, Chikungunya, dengue fever and yellow fever. Cyprus and Madeira, in Portugal, are currently the only places in Europe where the species is established, and officials consider air and sea transport a real risk of spreading it to other European countries, noting that this is thought to be how the mosquito reached Cyprus in the first place. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued warnings and recommendations on the risks posed by mosquitoes almost weekly over the past three months, and the European Commission’s health department is now focused on Cyprus, where work is under way to build the first facility of its kind aimed at eradicating dangerous mosquito species. Olivier Briet, an ECDC medical entomology expert, discussed the issue in an interview with Euractiv, telling the outlet that Europe must finally leave the stone age in managing mosquitoes and the infections they carry. Briet said Aedes aegypti is one of the most significant vector species in the world, and that Cyprus is not only monitoring the problem but leading the response to it. He said the island is building a facility to apply the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), following a successful pilot. The method involves breeding millions of male mosquitoes, sterilising them with radiation and releasing them into the environment; when they mate with wild females, the resulting eggs do not hatch, gradually reducing the population without heavy use of insecticides, according to Briet. Facility preparations under way Herodotos Herodotou, who heads the department, told Phileleftheros that the pilot programme in previous years tested sterile and fertile male releases in separate parts of Larnaca to allow accurate comparison. Following its success, authorities decided to build a hatchery for sterile male mosquitoes in Larnaca, where Aedes aegypti is established. The site has already been identified, and other procedures are under way, he said. The International Atomic Energy Agency is funding the project and is responsible for the specialised units being installed at the site, which are prefabricated abroad, with support from the European Commission’s health department. Experts have already visited Cyprus as part of the effort, and the department is now in contact with the public works department to secure an architect and civil engineer to prepare the infrastructure needed to install the units lawfully. Herodotou said the department is trying to have the project included among the government’s priority projects to avoid delays, and that most of the work is expected to be completed within 2027, with the ultimate goal of fully eliminating the species from Cyprus. If Cyprus achieves that goal, he added, the expertise gained would then be applied by other countries and would not be limited to Aedes aegypti. If the Aedes aegypti effort succeeds, he said, the laboratory could carry out a similar process against Aedes albopictus, known as the “tiger” mosquito, which is not found only in Cyprus. That species also spreads Zika, Chikungunya and dengue fever and features regularly in ECDC’s weekly reports. Resistance to insecticides detected Herodotou said the success of the sterile mosquito programme is even more significant given signs of “resistance to pyrethroids” in Aedes aegypti. In simple terms, he explained, the mosquitoes are showing resistance to pyrethroid insecticides, making eradication more difficult. The sterile male technique, he added, is environmentally friendly and can be applied in protected Natura areas without raising other issues. Additional measures are also in place, Herodotou said, including an island-wide entomological surveillance network using egg and adult mosquito traps across the government-controlled areas. The programme also includes regular monitoring, collection and replacement of materials, and recording of results, with targeted action taken in areas where mosquito populations increase. Workers and scientists use a phone-based system to log the areas where populations are found, enabling geographic mapping, he said. The four dangerous diseases carried by Aedes aegypti Zika virus: Most patients show no symptoms, or develop mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, headache and joint pain. Infection during pregnancy can cause serious congenital abnormalities, including microcephaly in the foetus, and has also been linked to neurological complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. Chikungunya: Sudden high fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, rash and fatigue mark this viral illness. Mortality is low, but joint pain can persist for months or years, significantly affecting patients’ quality of life. Dengue fever: The fastest-spreading mosquito-borne disease causes high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea and rash. A second infection with a different strain of the virus can lead to a severe form known as haemorrhagic dengue fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can be fatal. Yellow fever: Fever, chills, headache and muscle pain are the initial symptoms. In severe cases the disease progresses to liver damage, jaundice, from which it takes its name, haemorrhaging and multi-organ failure. A safe and highly effective vaccine exists and is the main means of prevention in endemic areas. 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