Infection
Wolbachia wonder bug could stop mosquitoes causing dengue fever
Honduras is the latest country to try beating the tropical disease by releasing lab-grown mosquitoes infected with the bacteria.
The government of Honduras is to release lab-grown mosquitoes that have been deliberately infected with a bacteria that prevents them from spreading dengue fever.
ADVERTISEMENTGovernment scientists will work with the charity Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) to assess the effectiveness of the experiment in reducing the number of infections.
Although the mosquitoes still bite, recent research shows lab-grown mosquitoes are fighting dangerous dengue fever that they normally would spread.
Scientists say studies so far show that mosquitoes infected with a particular bacteria may not be able to spread dengue.
This means they can’t transmit the virus.
The mosquitoes in this laboratory have been infected with bacteria that may block their ability to transmit viruses.
The bacteria they are infected with is called Wolbachia.
According to researchers, it’s a naturally occurring bacteria carried by 60 per cent of insect species including fruit flies, dragonflies and moths.
The reason scientists are so interested in this bacteria is because it stops viruses from growing and replicating inside the Aedes mosquito.
Honduras is following the example of Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil and Australia in releasing specially bred mosquitoes.
So far, just a handful of laboratories like this have been set up worldwide.
The World Mosquito Programme (WMP) says the insects infected with Wolbachia have been deployed in twelve countries with success.
ADVERTISEMENTNow mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria will be released in the Tegucigalpa neighbourhood of El Manchén.
Doctors in Honduras report more than 10,000 cases of dengue fever each year.
Results of an Indonesian study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 2021), confirm that infecting the mosquitoes with Wolbachia not only reduced the incidence of dengue by 77 per cent, but the number of people who would normally need hospital treatment dramatically decreased by 86 per cent.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 390 million dengue virus infections per year and 3.9 billion people globally are at risk of infection. The WHO says that the fever can be deadly, but that most people recover after two weeks, with paracetamol prescribed for pain control.
