The Iranian Ministry of Health and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding the use of nuclear technologies in the healthcare sector.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Health Mohammad-Reza Zaferkandi and the head of AEOI, Mohammad Eslami. According to an IRNA report, the main goal of this initiative is to control populations of Aedes mosquitoes and combat dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).
This pest control approach is environmentally safe: male mosquitoes are bred in large numbers and then sterilized using irradiation. Releasing sterile males significantly reduces the insect population.
Under the agreement, both parties intend to utilize the country's scientific, research, and technological potential to establish a mass breeding center for Aedes aegypti, as well as to conduct pilot and field studies to assess the effectiveness of this technology.
AEOI will provide support in supplying equipment for gamma or X-ray irradiation, training personnel, ensuring specialists in dosimetry and irradiation, and guaranteeing the operation and maintenance of the supplied equipment.
Mosquitoes only require a small amount of water to lay eggs. Containers, cups, fountains, tires, barrels, vases, and any other water-containing receptacles serve as ideal breeding grounds.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Transmission occurs via Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. These same mosquitoes can also carry Zika and Chikungunya viruses, posing a serious threat to public health.
Dengue disease has various infectious stages, including febrile, critical, and recovery phases.
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes have been recorded in the country. Aedes aegypti is a more invasive species and is found more frequently in Iran. Due to the characteristics of this mosquito, residents in affected areas are advised to wear clothing that covers most of their body during the first two hours of the morning and two hours before evening.
Transmission of the disease occurs two days before symptoms appear and two days after the temperature rises. Infection can spread from mosquitoes to humans, from humans to mosquitoes, and also from mother to child during pregnancy, as well as through blood transfusions and organ transplants.
The lifespan of Aedes mosquitoes ranges from one to four weeks; they feed on blood every 1–2 hours, making 40 to 50 such feedings during their lifetime.
Approximately 40–80 percent of dengue patients have mild or no symptoms. Adherence to sanitary norms can reduce the number of dengue cases by 70 percent.
Aedes aegypti was first registered in Hormozgan province in 2019. Currently, this mosquito has been detected in the provinces of Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan (Chabahar and Konarak), Bushehr, and Fars.
Another species, Aedes albopictus, has been observed in the northern and northwestern provinces, including Gilan, Mazandaran, Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, and Zanjan.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about half of the world's population is currently at risk of dengue, with between 100 and 400 million infections recorded annually.
Dengue prevention and control depend on combating the vectors. There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue, so early detection and timely access to proper medical care significantly reduce mortality from severe forms of the disease.