The jolly GM mosquito song

Moscamed operatives release Oxitec mosquitos in Jacobina, Brazil. Photo by Moscamed.

For an in-depth feature in issue 14 (available at the DG shop), we visited Oxitec, the British biotech company that is creating GM mosquitoes for release in areas with high rates of dengue fever.

The genetically-tweaked bugs – all male – mate with wild female mosquitoes and the resulting offspring never hatch. In short periods of time, this tactic can reduce populations of the dengue-carrying aedes aegypti mosquito by more than 90 percent, radically inhibiting the spread of the disease.

In Brazil, Oxitec have teamed up with Moscamed to mount a major public information campaign in targeted areas. People are invited to put their hands into vats of male mosquitoes to realise that they don’t get bitten (it’s only the females that are after your blood).

They play this jolly jingle, created by Moscamed, to persuade the residents that the mozzies are their friends, as well as when they are releasing the insects at street corners:

These are the lyrics:

Let him come into your house
He’s the solution
Aedes transgenic mosquito
It’s not a “muriçoca”, [a different type of mosquito], no.

He fights dengue
And doesn’t sting anyone
Protects your health
This is a mosquito of good.

Hello mummy, hello daddy,
Clever family stops and thinks.
Aedes Transgenic Project,
This one makes the difference

Aedes Transgenic Project,
This one makes the difference

Yes, it’s like that my people, to fight dengue.
Aedes Transgenic Project makes the difference!

Aedes Transgenic Project,
This one makes the difference

In Portuguese:

Deixe ele entrar na sua casa,
Ele é a solução.
O mosquito Aedes Transgênico
Não é muriçoca, não.

Ele combate a dengue
E não pica ninguém.
Protege sua saúde
Esse é o mosquito do bem.

Alô mamãe, alô papai,
Família esperta, pára e pensa.
Projeto Aedes Trangênico
Esse faz a diferença.

Projeto Aedes Trangênico
Esse faz a diferença.

É isso aí minha gente, para combater a dengue
Projeto Aedes Transgênico! Esse sim, faz a diferença!

Projeto Aedes Trangênico
Esse faz a diferença.

Posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2014 - Categories: Delayed Gratification magazine, From the team.