Integrated DNA Technologies (“IDT”), is donating reagents to Eliminate Dengue Brazil to help combat the spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil. The Eliminate Dengue Program is an international, non-profit research collaboration led by Prof Scott O’Neill of Monash University, Australia. The team is developing a natural method for controlling mosquito-transmitted diseases, including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
The Brazil project team, led by Dr Luciano Moreira (FIOCRUZ/Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Brazil), is applying the method towards controlling the spread of ZIKV. The researchers infect the mosquitoes with naturally occurring bacteria, called Wolbachia, that reduce the ability of the mosquitoes to transmit the disease-causing virus to humans. Wolbachia occurs naturally in up to 60% of all insect species and is passed to new generations during reproduction. Dr Moreira notes, “One of the most important features of our project is how sustainable it is. After we release Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes into an ...
