Wolbachia was transferred from the fruit fly to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by microinjection

We are now developing the method for low-cost, large-scale application across urban areas

Wolbachia mosquitoes are released with community support and government approval

Potential release sites are chosen after mosquito population studies and community engagement

The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits dengue between people

Wolbachia mosquitoes are reared under laboratory conditions ready for release into field trial sites

When Wolbachia is present in Aedes aegypti it stops dengue viruses from growing

Our Research

Our approach uses natural bacteria called Wolbachia. Wolbachia occur naturally in up to 60% of all insect species, but not the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

We have successfully transferred Wolbachia from other insects into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and have shown that when Wolbachia is present in the mosquito it reduces the mosquito’s ability to transmit dengue.

Our hope is to seed wild mosquito populations with Wolbachia in areas where dengue is endemic. We do this through controlled releases of Wolbachia mosquitoes that then breed with the wild mosquitoes. Our prediction is that if Wolbachia can establish in the wild mosquito population in a local area then there would be reduced transmission of dengue between people.

We have been conducting trials of our approach in dengue-affected communities since 2011, which have shown we can deploy the method and that it sustains itself. Ongoing small-scale trials in Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil and Colombia as well as initial laboratory studies in India are helping us refine our methods.

We are now developing the method for low-cost, large-scale application across urban areas. Our first city-wide trial began in 2014 in northern Australia and we hope to undertake further large-scale trials starting in 2016.

Over the next few years, we also plan to evaluate the impact of our approach by directly measuring the reduction in dengue during large-scale trials. To determine the most suitable locations for measuring impact, we will first spend 1-2 years monitoring potential sites.

As a sustainable, long-term approach, we believe our Wolbachia method has the potential to greatly reduce the global burden of dengue. Our approach is compatible and complementary with existing dengue control strategies, and it will support future methods such as a dengue vaccine once available.

The Wolbachia method also has potential to be used on other insect transmitted diseases. We have demonstrated that Wolbachia reduce mosquitoes’ ability to transmit other human viruses such as chikungunya and yellow fever as well as parasites that cause malaria.

View Risk Assessment Report Vietnam Release 2011 (English version)

View CSIRO Risk Assessment Report Australia 2010

Our Research

The Eliminate Dengue Program is developing a new approach to control mosquito-transmitted diseases

We are using naturally occurring bacteria - called Wolbachia - that reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit harmful human viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.

Following years of research into Wolbachia, our eld trials have been met with widespread support from communities, governments and regulators in ve countries to date.

We are now transforming this groundbreaking approach to make it more a ordable and e ective for use in at-risk communities around the world.

Together, we can protect millions of people and reduce the global burden of mosquito-borne disease.

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Community Engagement

Support from householders, community groups and other stakeholders is critical for our research.

Extensive social research and community engagement activities were undertaken in Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil before the first Wolbachia mosquitoes were released in these countries.

As our activities extend to other sites, we will engage with community members and stakeholders and provide opportunities to share all views and any concerns about our research. Depending on the community, this will include one-on-one meetings, focus groups, presentations, public meetings, displays at community events and community surveys, along with communications through direct mail, the media, community and project newsletters and the program website.

We encourage communities to become actively involved in the research and we only undertake release activities with community support.

Regulatory Approval and Risk Assessment

The Eliminate Dengue research program has involved years of laboratory and field-based research and the findings have been subjected to rigorous independent assessment.

These assessments have concluded that there is negligible risk associated with the release of Wolbachia Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and that Wolbachia is safe for people, animals and the environment. We have received regulatory approval from the relevant government bodies in Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil to release Wolbachia Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

In each future project site, we will consult with local stakeholders and regulatory authorities to determine the most appropriate pathway to seek approval to release Wolbachia Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in these countries. A release would only proceed with regulatory approval and community support.

We are committed to working with full transparency and make all of our research results available through the peer reviewed scientific literature. In addition our risk analyses are publicly available for scrutiny.

View Risk Assessment Report Vietnam Release 2011 (English version)

View CSIRO Risk Assessment Report Australia 2010

Our Research

Our Research

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Community Engagement

Regulatory Approval and Risk Assessment

Wolbachia dengue control method