We all know how a tiny little creature – the mosquito can gift us quite a lot of deadly diseases, like Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Malaria! But there is some bad news for that tiny insect!! Well, a bad news for it is a great news for us. There is now a new way to control Dengue Chikungunya.
The researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia announce that the mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria have a reduced ability to transmit viruses to people. Wolbachia are naturally occurring bacteria found in 60% of all insect species, and are safe for humans, animals and the environment. However, it is not found in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary species responsible for transmitting viral diseases.
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- In 2011, they started “Eliminate Dengue Program” and released specially-bred Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying the bacteria in the city of Townsville (Queensland), where they mated with local mosquitoes. The spread of the bacteria prevented the dreaded Dengue fever since 2014.
- Now, the program has been renamed as “World Mosquito Program” (WMP) which is a not-for-profit initiative that works to protect the global community from mosquito-borne diseases such as Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika.
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- The WMP is currently operating in 12 countries around the World : Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Kiribati, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Mexico. The WMP has two regional hubs : Asia hub in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Oceania hub, based at Monash University. These hubs support projects in their respective regions.
- Scott O’Neill is the director of the WMP. The Funders of WMP are : BILL & MELINDA GATES Foundation, Wellcome, Tahija Family Foundation, The Gillespie Family Foundation, Christy Walton’s Candeo Fund via International Community Foundation, Rotary Foundation and local clubs, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The Corporate Supporters of WMP are : NEW ENGLAND BioLabs Inc., KPMG & many Govt. Agencies.
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