NEA looks into using mosquitoes to fight dengue
After seeing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases in recent weeks, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) is looking into fighting fire with fire — in this case, using the male Aedes mosquito to curb the growth of dengue-spreading females.
The agency hopes to do this by having Wolbachia bacterium-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with females. The authorities said studies have shown that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that receive Wolbachia lay eggs that do not hatch.
Wolbachia — found in more than 60 per cent of insects that include butterflies, dragonflies, fruit flies and certain mosquito species — does not exist in the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito.
“This can help reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes over time by suppressing their reproduction,” the NEA said in a statement on Monday.
At the same time, the agency stressed that the bacterium has not been shown to infect humans or other mammals, even when carried by insects that bite.
It also noted that taking steps to ensure that mosquitoes have no opportunity to breed in the house remains the key to preventing mosquito breeding in Singapore.
Australia has also said it has completed trials of releasing these mosquitoes on a small-scale in communities in the northern part of the country, and hopes to start a city-wide effort in Townsville, Queensland, by the end of the year.
