New Innovation Prevents the Spread of DHF with Wolbachia, What is it?

KOMPAS.com – Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DBD) is still a serious health problem in some areas in Indonesia. One of the efforts to prevent the spread of this disease is with new innovations Wolbachia.

The prevalence rate of this disease is still quite high. Because, dengue hemorrhagic fever Dengue virus infection is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

In Indonesia, three types of mosquitoes have been identified that can transmit the dengue virus, namely: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Aedes scutellaris.

Dengue fever continues to get the attention of the government, which targets zero cases or zero cases by 2030.

To suppress the threat of the spread and transmission of DHF, The World Mosquito Program (WMP) Yogyakarta, which is run by Prof. Adi Utarini carried out research related to dengue virus control using Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that had Wolbachia bacteria.

Reporting from the official website of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), these bacteria will be inserted into mosquitoes, and make them no longer transmit the virus.

Also read: Wolbachia Bacteria Successful in Suppressing DHF, Can It Be Applied All Over Indonesia?

Wolbachia is a bacterium that can grow naturally in insects, especially mosquitoes, except mosquitoes Temples of the Egyptians, mosquito that causes dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

This bacterium can paralyze the dengue virus so that if there are mosquitoes carrying dengue fever suck blood containing the dengue virus, they will be resistant, and will not spread to the human body.

Wolbachia mosquito trial to prevent dengue

Tests for the spread of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes have been carried out in Yogyakarta City and Bantul Regency. It is planned that the trial will continue to be expanded.

In this test, nurses and researchers were monitored to see the effectiveness of Wolbachia bacteria against the spread of the dengue virus.

The results show that in locations where Wolbachia has been spread, it has been shown to be able to suppress dengue cases by up to 77 percent. This intervention is much more effective than the administration of dengue vaccine.

“Research WMP Yogyakarta has produced evidence that in the area where we spread mosquitoes, the dengue rate has decreased by 77.1 percent and the hospitalization rate due to dengue has decreased by 86.1 percent. This intervention is more effective than the dengue vaccine,” explained Adi Utarini, who is familiarly called Uut.

Also read: Study: The Spread of Wolbachia Mosquitoes Is Effective in Reducing DHF Cases

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