Researchers in Indonesia have a new ace in their fight against diseases. Here’s how researchers are breeding good mosquitoes to fight dengue.
What are good mosquitoes?
Researchers in Indonesia are fighting diseases spread by mosquito bites with a unique solution. They are breeding mosquitoes with bacteria that stop viruses from growing inside them. Wolbachia is one such bacteria that is common and naturally occurs in over 60 percent of insects. This includes dragonflies, mosquitoes, moths, butterflies, and fruit flies. However, as per the World Mosquito Program (WMP), Wolbachia is not naturally found in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the ones behind the spread of dengue.
“In principle, we are breeding the ‘good’ mosquitoes. The mosquitoes carrying dengue will mate with mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia, which will produce Wolbachia mosquitoes – the ‘good’ mosquitoes. So even if they bite people, it won’t affect them,” said Purwanti, a WMP member. WMP, a nonprofit is conducting a joint study with the Monash University in Australia and Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia.
How can they help fight dengue?
The joint study involves releasing lab-bred mosquitoes that contain Wolbachia across dengue red zones in Yogyakarta, an Indonesian city. The result of the study since 2017 shows that introduction of mosquitoes with Wolbachia is reducing dengue cases by 77 percent. Additionally, it is lowering hospitalization by about 86 percent. “We’re confident in this technology, particularly for areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is the most responsible (infection) factor,” said Adi Utarini. Utarini is a lead researcher from the WMP and has been working in Indonesia’s ‘Eliminate Dengue Program’ since 2011.
The technology can help revolutionize community medicine and management. According to the data from the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue infections across the world are increasing rapidly. With about 100-400 million new infections annually, over half, the population of the world is at risk for infection.