The world sees up to 100 million cases and 22,000 deaths due to dengue every year. Researchers may have found a way to cut those numbers significantly.
Researchers for the non-profit World Mosquito Program released the results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in late October.
The Wolbachia bacteria significantly reduces Aedes aegypti mosquitoes’ ability to spread disease.
To see whether this infiltration had actually impacted dengue levels in the three cities, the researchers evaluated the number of cases reported over the course of the releases until July 2022.
You don’t have to release more mosquitoes," Biologist Rafael Maciel de Freitas, who works at the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, told DW in April 2023.
However, Freitas told DW, there is concern the method won’t work forever, given the high possibility the dengue pathogen will find a way to adapt to — and circumvent — the Wolbachia bacteria.
“I wouldn’t say the Wolbachia method is the solution to dengue, but I think we have a better answer to the disease this way,” Freitas added.
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Researchers for the non-profit World Mosquito Program released the results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in late October.
The Wolbachia bacteria significantly reduces Aedes aegypti mosquitoes’ ability to spread disease.
To see whether this infiltration had actually impacted dengue levels in the three cities, the researchers evaluated the number of cases reported over the course of the releases until July 2022.
You don’t have to release more mosquitoes," Biologist Rafael Maciel de Freitas, who works at the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, told DW in April 2023.
However, Freitas told DW, there is concern the method won’t work forever, given the high possibility the dengue pathogen will find a way to adapt to — and circumvent — the Wolbachia bacteria.
“I wouldn’t say the Wolbachia method is the solution to dengue, but I think we have a better answer to the disease this way,” Freitas added.
The original article contains 695 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 77%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!