Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Pahang 50588, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: nazni@imr.gov.my
  • 2 University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. Electronic address: ary@unimelb.edu.au
  • 3 Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Pahang 50588, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
  • 5 University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
  • 6 University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
  • 7 Institute for Health Behavioural Research (IPTK), Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jln Rumah Sakit Bangsar 50590, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 8 Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, SS 6, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Selangor, Malaysia
  • 9 Vector Borne Disease Control Section, Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Complex E, Block E10, Persiaran Sultan Sallahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Presint 1, 62000 Putrajaya, Malaysia
  • 10 MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK. Electronic address: steven.sinkins@glasgow.ac.uk
Curr Biol, 2019 Dec 16;29(24):4241-4248.e5.
PMID: 31761702 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.007

Abstract

Dengue has enormous health impacts globally. A novel approach to decrease dengue incidence involves the introduction of Wolbachia endosymbionts that block dengue virus transmission into populations of the primary vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The wMel Wolbachia strain has previously been trialed in open releases of Ae. aegypti; however, the wAlbB strain has been shown to maintain higher density than wMel at high larval rearing temperatures. Releases of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying wAlbB were carried out in 6 diverse sites in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with high endemic dengue transmission. The strain was successfully established and maintained at very high population frequency at some sites or persisted with additional releases following fluctuations at other sites. Based on passive case monitoring, reduced human dengue incidence was observed in the release sites when compared to control sites. The wAlbB strain of Wolbachia provides a promising option as a tool for dengue control, particularly in very hot climates.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.