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Researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that modified mosquitoes thrived for three years, and dengue cases fell by 77% in the areas where they were introduced.
Mosquitoes become infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia, which not only interferes with the viruses’ ability to live in the insects’ bodies, but also controls reproduction so that mosquitoes only have Wolbachia-infected offspring. The result is an increasing number of insects that do not transmit viruses such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika.
The study involved more than 8,000 people, about half of whom lived in areas where the modified Aedes aegypti mosquito used to live and breed.
Dengue was diagnosed in 9.4% of those living in areas with unmodified mosquitoes, and 2.3% of people living in areas where modified mosquitoes were released. The “preventive efficacy of the intervention was 77.1%,” the researchers wrote.
“There have been very few randomized trials of interventions against the dengue mosquito,” Dr. Katie Anders of the Global Mosquito Program, who helped sponsor the trial, said in a statement.
“The results of the trials conducted in Yogyakarta show conclusively that wolbachia works to reduce dengue cases and hospitalizations,” she added.
Mosquitoes were also tested in the Florida Keys and Australia.
Up to 400 million people contract dengue fever each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus, which is accompanied by four strains, infects 100 million people annually and kills 22,000 people annually.
“Indonesia has more than 7 million dengue cases every year,” said Adi Otarini of Gadja Mada University, who worked on the study. “We believe there is a potential future where Indonesian city dwellers can live without dengue.”
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