Bt Research 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 251-258 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/bt 251 Research Insight Open Access Bt as a Tool for Controlling Vector-Borne Diseases Jun Wang, Qikun Huang Tropical Microbial Resources Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: qikun.huang@cuixi.org Bt Research, 2025, Vol.16, No.6 doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0028 Received: 15 Sep., 2025 Accepted: 20 Oct., 2025 Published: 30 Nov., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Wang and Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wang J., and Huang Q.K., 2025, Bt as a tool for controlling vector-borne diseases, Bt Research, 16(6): 251-258 (doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0028) Abstract Vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and Lyme disease still pose a serious threat to public health worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), as a natural insect pathogen, has received extensive attention in the field of biological control in recent years due to its strong specificity, high safety and significant killing effect on various vector insects. This study systematically reviewed the biological characteristics of Bt and the insecticidal mechanisms of the crystal toxins it generates (Cry, Cyt, Vip), analyzed the target characteristics of major vectors such as mosquitoes, black flies, and ticks, and simultaneously explored different application methods of Bt preparations and their application prospects in the control of integrated vector-borne diseases. Through the analysis of practical application cases of Bt in dengue fever prevention and control projects in countries such as Malaysia and Brazil, this study assesses its effect and problems in field operations. This study aims to promote a reduction in global reliance on chemical pesticides and facilitate the wide application of biological control concepts in public health, especially having significant practical guiding value for regions with a high incidence of vector-borne diseases. Keywords Bacillus thuringiensis; Vector-borne diseases; Biological control; Mosquito; Drug resistance 1 Introduction Mosquitoes are not just annoying little creatures in summer. Aedes mosquitoes, Anopheles mosquitoes and Culex mosquitoes are the disseminators of many serious infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever, which have long plagued about half of the world's population. Especially in tropical and subtropical regions, both the incidence rate and mortality rate are not low. Although many places have been implementing integrated pest management, the problem has not been alleviated as a result. Instead, against the backdrop of climate change, global travel and urban expansion, the spread of these mosquito-borne diseases has become increasingly widespread and the situation has become more complex (Kumari et al., 2019; Miranda et al., 2024; Shafique et al., 2025). In fact, there are still some prevention and control measures, but the old methods are getting harder and harder to hold up the situation. Chemical pesticides were the most commonly used method in the past, but now it seems that they have many problems - not only are they toxic to the environment, but they may also harm other innocent creatures. Moreover, mosquitoes develop drug resistance very quickly, and the effect is getting worse year by year. Biological agents, such as the well-known Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies Israel (Bt), although considered safer, are not panacea. In some areas, mosquito resistance to Bt has been detected, although its own mechanism of action is rather complex and the emergence of drug resistance is not as rapid. In addition, the cost of repeated application of pesticides is not low and transportation is difficult. Especially in areas with tight funds, the limitations of the existing methods are even more obvious (Ali Mude et al., 2025; Sunarti, 2025). This study aims to assess the potential of Bacillus thuriensis (Bt) as a biological control tool for vector-borne diseases, mainly targeting mosquito larvae - the key aquatic stage of disease transmission. Bt can produce insecticidal proteins that specifically destroy the intestinal cells of mosquito larvae, providing a highly targeted and environmentally safe alternative to chemical insecticides. This study focuses on evaluating the larval killing efficacy of Bt, clarifying its mechanism of action, and exploring its integration into vector control programs to
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