A groundbreaking strategy against dengue fever has delivered impressive results in Indonesia. By releasing mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria, researchers significantly lowered infections and hospital admissions.
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) carrying one of four dengue virus serotypes (DEN1 to DEN4). The World Health Organization listed it among the top 10 global health threats in 2019, affecting 50 to 100 million people yearly. Common symptoms include fever and joint pain, with potential for severe complications.
Traditional controls like insecticides and environmental measures have fallen short, as noted by researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Indonesian public health expert and dengue specialist Adi Utarini targeted Wolbachia pipientis, an intracellular bacterium common in many insects but absent in A. aegypti. This bacterium inhibits viral replication, reducing the mosquitoes' ability to transmit dengue.
Utarini's team released millions of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes across more than half of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where dengue is endemic. The bacterium spreads to offspring, rapidly infiltrating local populations.
Over nine months in 2017, this approach cut dengue cases by 77% and hospitalizations by 86%.
Following the trial's success, releases expanded citywide, with plans for surrounding areas.
“This is a big success for the people of Yogyakarta. Indonesia has more than 7 million cases of dengue each year. The success of the trial allows us to expand our work to the whole city of Yogyakarta and surrounding urban areas. We believe there is a possible future where people in Indonesian cities can live dengue-free”, Adi Utarini stated.
Study co-author Cameron Simmons notes that Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes could also combat Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya.
