• This pilot study confirmed the SIT technical and logistical feasibility in real world conditions. • Field data confirmed sterile male releases effectively reduced of urban mosquito populations • A marked and sustained decline was evident in egg production, fertility and adult female abundance. • Cross-stakeholder collaboration, community support and source reduction improved SIT success. • Larger-scale trials required in order to assess the long-term epidemiological impact. This pilot study confirmed the SIT technical and logistical feasibility in real world conditions. Field data confirmed sterile male releases effectively reduced of urban mosquito populations A marked and sustained decline was evident in egg production, fertility and adult female abundance. Cross-stakeholder collaboration, community support and source reduction improved SIT success. Larger-scale trials required in order to assess the long-term epidemiological impact. The sterile insect technique (SIT) has progressed from theory to a validated vector control strategy for Aedes-borne diseases, including dengue and chikungunya. We assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of SIT for suppressing Aedes albopictus in small-scale urban environments on Reunion Island. From July 2021 to September 2022, over 10 million Ae. albopictus males sterilised as pupae with 40 Gy X-rays were released at a 20-hectare pilot site. Weekly releases ranged from 60,000 to 275,000 males (3000–13,750 per hectare). Outcomes were monitored using ovitrap surveillance and periodic adult sampling during a 6-month baseline and a 13-month intervention. Sterile-to-wild male ratios ranged from 6:1 to 18:1. Compared with the control site, the treated site showed a 33.5% reduction in egg abundance and a 61.5% reduction in egg viability (range 40.0–81.9). Reductions in egg fertility were temporally aligned with a 60.4% decline in female abundance relative to baseline. This study demonstrates that SIT was technically and logistically feasible and achieved measurable suppression of Ae. albopictus . Despite scale and operational constraints, the intervention achieved significant reductions in egg fertility and female abundance, providing strong proof of concept for SIT-based mosquito control on Reunion Island.
Cécile et al. (Sun,) studied this question.