Brazil releases wolbachia-infected mosquitoes against dengue

Category: Environment, Health, Research and Developments, Science and Technology 115 0

wolbachia-infected mosquitoes

Brazilian researchers in Rio de Janeiro have released thousands of wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to curb dengue fever.

According to Luciano Moreira of the Brazilian Research Institute Fiocruz, Wolbachia is a bacterium that acts like vaccine, killing dengue virus in Aedes aegypti mosquito’s body.

Also read:Mutant dengue virus shows potential for dengue vaccine development

Wolbachia is actually found in 60% of insects and are not transferable to human.

Wolbachia also has an effect on Aedes aegypti mosquito’s reproduction. If a contaminated male fertilises the eggs of a female without the bacteria, these eggs do not turn into larvae.

If the male and female are contaminated or if only a female has the bacteria, all future generations of mosquito will carry Wolbachia.

As a result, these wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are expected to multiply, breed and become the majority of mosquitoes in the wild, thus reducing cases of the disease.

Also read:New study discovers how dengue virus invade immune system

This programme is already being done in Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Brazil leads the world in the number of dengue cases, with 3.2 million cases and 800 deaths reported in the 2009-14 period.

Also read: Mutant dengue virus shows potential for dengue vaccine development



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