Introduction
In 2025, the Butantan Institute — linked to the São Paulo State Government — launched the world’s first single-dose vaccine against dengue. The achievement marked a historic milestone for science and for the fight against the disease in Brazil.
Despite this breakthrough, research efforts continue to focus on controlling dengue and other arboviruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as Zika and chikungunya.
In Manaus, the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and the Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS-AM) are conducting studies on arboviruses introduced by the mosquito in the region.
The use of Amazonian plants to produce extracts, research into natural predators — such as the larvae of other insects — for biological control, and genetic studies are among the strategies adopted by INPA in the search for solutions to tackle these diseases.
This report highlights part of this scientific work, considered essential for public health in the Brazilian Amazon.

Duration: 7’55”

Interviews:
Rosemary Roque, researcher — National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA)
Joaquim Ferreira do Nascimento Neto, PhD student
Elder Figueira, Director of Environmental Affairs and Disease Control — Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS-AM)
Intern:
Fernanda Soares
Editing and post-production:
Alexandre Almeida
Executive Producer:
Juliana Fontes
Produced by:
AMAZON AGENCY
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– OPENING TRACK

“Aedes aegypti was previously known as the dengue mosquito because, at the time, other diseases in which it is also involved in the transmission cycle were not yet known.”
– AUDIO TRACK
“Aedes aegypti is responsible for and involved in the transmission cycle of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Rosemary Roque, researcher — National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA)
“So, the same vector, the same mosquito, can be infected with three different viruses and infect people, causing different diseases in this case.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Elder Figueira, Director of Environment and Disease Control — Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS-AM)
“These are arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti, just like dengue. We have reports of these illnesses here in the state of Amazonas; in numerical terms, they are clearly much lower than dengue cases, but they still occur. Therefore, we need to always maintain surveillance. With the partnership and work of LACEN, the Central Laboratory, we are able, through the collected samples, to differentiate whether a patient has dengue, Zika, or chikungunya, because clinically it is not an easy diagnosis, but it is possible through laboratory testing.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Rosemary Roque, researcher
“These insects live in areas with tropical and subtropical climates. What we have been observing is that, due to climate change, they are expanding and developing in areas they did not previously colonize.”
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Joaquim Ferreira do Nascimento Neto, PhD candidate
“Climate and the environment have a very direct influence on the mosquito’s life cycle. While we are able to regulate our body temperature, mosquitoes cannot. Their metabolism is directly influenced by temperature. So, when the temperature increases, the cycle tends to accelerate.
This acceleration causes the mosquito to pass through its life stages much more quickly and reach adulthood sooner, increasing its epidemiological importance.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Elder Figueira, Director of Environment and Disease Control — FVS-AM
“Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that needs water to proliferate and reproduce. Its larval stage occurs in an aquatic environment. When there is a lot of rain, there are more mosquitoes and more disease transmission.”
Rosemary Roque, researcher
“There are four serotypes of the disease, which is why a person can contract dengue up to four times. Breeding these insects in the laboratory is essential for the development of research. They are maintained in environments we call insectaries, where the temperature is kept around 26 to 28 degrees Celsius.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Joaquim Ferreira Neto, PhD candidate
“Here, we have four environments and three locations that are simulated environments. The first environment represents current conditions, mirroring the temperature and heat from outside into the room. Basically, what is outside is reproduced inside, but in a controlled way, to avoid the influence of other external factors. By keeping the insects under these conditions and evaluating these parameters, and by conducting comparative studies between each environment, we can observe how their behavior may be in the future and try to propose measures and solutions based on our results.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Rosemary Roque, researcher
“Mosquitoes are bred in cages, and they need blood to feed. The blood is provided through an animal, which is anesthetized and placed inside the cage, where the females feed. Once they feed, they lay eggs. Blood is essential because it contains proteins that help in the egg maturation process. Without blood, the eggs become unviable.”
– AUDIO TRACK
“One of the research lines we develop here is the study of Amazonian plants, with the aim of determining whether any of them have the potential to control these larvae and insects, and to verify whether extracts and essential oils from these Amazonian plants actually play this role. In this way, we carry out biological control, a form of control that does not use chemical or synthetic products. Synthetic insecticides are effective and efficient, but they are not specific. They kill the dengue mosquito, they kill the malaria mosquito, but they also cause damage to the environment. This is a negative point of indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides. Therefore, new strategies are necessary.”
– AUDIO TRACK
“We also use predators—other animals, such as larvae of other insects, that feed on dengue mosquito larvae. This is another strategy, also considered biological control, because it does not use synthetic insecticides.”
“We also work extensively on health education. The population needs to know how to prevent the disease, where the mosquito develops, and what actions are necessary to prevent their homes from becoming breeding sites. Health education is therefore an extremely important strategy.”
Elder Figueira, Director of Environment and Disease Control — FVS-AM
“Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that is highly adapted to our environmental conditions. In urban areas, there are many available containers where the mosquito can lay its eggs, which then become breeding sites. Therefore, it is necessary for the population to dedicate part of their week to checking for containers with standing water, whether in the yard or even inside the home. Eliminating these containers helps eliminate the mosquito and reduce the number of disease cases.”
– AUDIO TRACK
Rosemary Roque, researcher
“We already have a vaccine for dengue. There are also studies underway for a chikungunya vaccine, among other strategies we are working on here.”
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Joaquim Ferreira Neto, PhD candidate
“We are investigating genetic aspects, such as how certain proteins—called heat shock proteins, which are related to maintaining proteins within our cells—become more or less active depending on temperature increases.
While other species cannot survive in very extreme environments, we are able to maintain colonies of these animals, Aedes, even under extreme conditions. For malaria mosquitoes and other organisms, for example, we are unable to complete the life cycle, but Aedes can.”
Rosemary Roque, researcher
“The battle is not easy. Several strategies are being studied, and vaccination is one of them to provide prevention. Vaccines are part of the prevention strategies.”
“The disease has been present throughout Brazil for a long time. Therefore, commitment from the entire population is necessary. It cannot be only health managers or scientists working on new control strategies.”
“It is impossible to do this alone. The population needs to be involved. The population needs to be involved.”

– FINAL AUDIO TRACK