Dengue is a deadly viral fever spread by mosquito bites that kills thousands around the world each year. Now researchers from James Cook University and University of Queensland are working on a bacterium called Wolbachia that can stop the spread of this virus. It aids in shortening the 30 day life span of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry the Dengue virus thereby preventing the spread of the disease. Attempts are also made to use these bacteria against mosquitoes carrying diseases such as malaria and Chikungunya fever.
JCU researcher Dr. Scott Ritchie said that female mosquitoes spread the disease. He explained, “What it [Wolbachia] will do is, it will take the existing mosquitoes and they basically won't be Dengue mosquitoes anymore.” For now trials are on these mosquitoes and plans are on to introduce the bacteria to wild Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes next year. “If this thing works the idea would be to roll it out in Cairns and then take it beyond that. That's a process that is going to take a few years,” he said.
Dr. Ritchie hopes trails will begin soon. “We’re hoping it may happen next wet season – maybe January or February – but we’re still trying to get final approvals,” he said. There was a Dengue outbreak with total of 931 cases of Dengue type three in North Queensland since November 2008. The epidemic was officially declared over only last August but was the worst ever. Dr Ritchie said, “We had hot, wet weather that maximized mosquito populations, a ‘typhoid Mary’ who unwittingly imported Dengue to Cairns, and an unusually quick strain of dengue that spread like lightning.”
He will be speaking at a lecture on Wednesday to be held at Rydges Esplanade Resort, Cairns at 5 PM.
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