An experiment to infect mosquitoes with bacteria appears to greatly reduce the spread of viruses. The discovery could be a breakthrough in the fight against deadly diseases such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever.
Scientists have infected mosquitoes with the bacterium wolbachia, which affects the ability of viruses to survive in mosquitoes’ bodies. In addition, the infection is passed on to the offspring, which means that an increasing population cannot transmit viruses such as dengue.
Breakthrough
Researchers from the World Mosquito Program at Australia’s Monash University put it to the test in Indonesia. Three years ago, they released infected mosquitoes in the city of Yogyakarta. Since then, the incidence of dengue in the area has fallen by 77 percent, and the number of hospital admissions has fallen by 86 percent.
“This experiment shows what an exciting breakthrough the wolbachia method can be: a safe, sustainable and efficient new approach to fighting dengue – just what the international community needs,” said Professor Cameron Simmons of Monash University.
Big impact
Every year, approximately 400 million people worldwide become infected with dengue. The different variants of the virus make 100 million people sick every year and kill 22,000 people.
There is a good chance that the approach can also help in the fight against other diseases. Previous studies have shown that the wolbachia method is effective in preventing the transmission of Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, among others.
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