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Mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria and released into the wild are associated with a sharp decrease in dengue fever infections in humans, scientists reported Thursday (November 21) at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s annual meeting.
Cases of dengue, a mosquito-transmitted disease that causes fever, skin rash, vomiting, and muscle and joint pain, have gone down over the past few years in areas of Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Australia where the insects were released, reports the Associated Press. Scientists with the World Mosquito Program conducted the research, and the findings were presented by Kate Anders, an epidemiologist at Monash University in Australia.
In North Queensland, Australia, there has been a 96 percent reduction in dengue infections following the introduction of bacteria-infected mosquitoes in 2011. There has also been a 76 percent decrease in Indonesia, a 70 percent decrease in Brazil, and a similar decrease ...
