Doctors around the world believe mosquitos injected with a specific bacterium can slow down the transmission of the Zika virus. These modified mosquitos have been released into a few island communities around the world, and most tests have proven successful thus far.
Researchers now want to release bacteria treated mosquitos into larger areas where the Zika virus is prevalent. Although there’s still some controversy over the efficacy of this method, many countries have already authorized the release of these treated mosquitos.
The Science And Success Behind Wolbachia Treated Mosquitos
Scientists are specifically using the Aedes genus of mosquitos in this project. This genus was chosen because it can be found on all continents, excluding Antarctica. Once captured, scientists inject the bacterium Wolbachia into the mosquitos. Research into Wolbachia has shown that once this bacterium is introduced into the Aedes population, it stops viruses like the Zika virus from developing.
Also, Wolbachia helps scientists better control the breeding habits of mosquitos. Male mosquitos with Wolbachia are only able to successfully breed with female mosquitos that also have Wolbachia. Releasing Wolbachia mosquitos into the environment over a long period of time should reduce the number of mosquitos born with viruses like Zika or dengue.
The injected mosquitos were first released as a pilot test in the costal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam. After only a few weeks, the test proved so successful that Eliminate Dengue, a major group behind the Vietnam project, is planning on releasing more mosquitos into Brazil and Columbia. As was reported in the newspaper Xinhua,
The release of mosquitos with Wolbachia…has proven effective.
Xinhua‘s article also said that dengue fever outbreaks went down in Nha Trang after the mosquitos were released.
Another dengue researcher, Professor Zhiyong Xi of Michigan State University, has released Wolbachia mosquitos into the tiny island of Shazai in the southern Chinese megalopolis Guangzhou. On this island, Dr. Xi was able to bring down the mosquito population by an astonishing 96 percent within a month’s time.
While the result is stunning, many scientists wonder whether or not Dr. Xi can replicate his success in a densely populated mainland area. Dr. Xi has said he wants to start introducing Wolbachia mosquitos into more populated regions very soon. His next target will most likely be in Mexico.
Where Wolbachia Mosquitos Will Most Likely Be Released Next
One area of the world that can expect to see Wolbachia mosquitos very soon is New Caledonia. It was announced in December of 2016 that the modified mosquitos will soon be released on this tiny island. Also within the Oceania region, researchers might release mosquitos into Australia and Indonesia. However, there’s no word yet on when these mosquitos will be released.
As for the USA, two states in particular will be receiving these Wolbachia mosquitos soon. Dr. Xi was given permission by the U.S. federal government to release these mosquitos in both Florida and California.
Although all the tests look great, some critics have argued that there could be a few flaws using Wolbachia treated mosquitos in certain parts of the world. A report published by PLOS Pathogens said that the Wolbachia mosquitos don’t work as well at combating the Zika virus in areas where temperatures are extremely high.
The Current Prevalence Of The Zika Virus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a “Public Health Alert” for places where the Zika virus is active. A few locations on this list include American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Miami-Dade County.
There are currently less than 1,000 cases of Zika in the USA. Only time will tell how effective these Wolbachia mosquitos are in more densely populated urban areas after they are released in 2017.