Wolbachia method is simple. The team discovered that when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, the bacteria compete with viruses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. This makes it harder for viruses to reproduce inside the mosquitoes. And the mosquitoes are much less likely to spread viruses from person to person.
This means that when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry natural Wolbachia bacteria, the transmission of viruses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever is reduced.
So, at the World Mosquito Program, they breed Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes. Then, in partnership with local communities, they release them into areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases.
The World Mosquito Program has been operating in Vietnam since 2006, with Ho Chi Minh City now the location of WMP’s Asia hub office.
In 2013, the program released the first phase of Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Tri Nguyen Island followed by a release across eight hamlets in Vinh Luong, north of Nha Trang in 2018. Plans are in place to release in two new sites further south where the burden of dengue is significant.
The World Mosquito Program currently has two regional offices: one in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for Asia and another in Melbourne, Australia, based at Monash University, for Oceania. They also operate in the Americas and are in the process of establishing a European presence. These hubs support projects in their respective regions and contribute to core global operations.
According to worldmosquitoprogram.org
