Dengue breakthrough after mosquitoes laced with natural bacteria

Infections in Indonesian city plummet after release of mosquitoes injected with Wolbachia bacteria

Infecting mosquitoes with a naturally occurring bacteria dramatically reduces their ability to transmit dengue, according to a breakthrough study that could pave the way to eliminating the disease.

Research conducted in Indonesia, where dengue is endemic, found that releasing mosquitoes infected with the bacteria Wolbachia into parts of Yogyakarta city reduced the number of dengue infections by 77% compared with untreated areas.