MURcia (EP). A study published in the scientific journal Insects found that Wolbachia bacteria could play a key role in stopping the spread of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in Spain, which transmits diseases such as dengue fever, Zika or Chikungunya.
This study “Wolbachia infection through hybridization to enhance the suppression of Aedes albopictus using incompatible insect methods in eastern Spain”, a study in which Ruben Bueno, entomologist and technical director of Rentokil Initial, together with other researchers from the University of Valencia and the Italian National Agency for Biotechnology, energy and sustainable economic development.
“Wolbachia” is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that infect arthropod species and occur in nature, responsible for events that alter the reproductive biology of their hosts. Crosses between males infected with this bacterium and females not infected with the strain lead to cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), that is, a state of sterility of the eggs. Something that scientists believe can be used as a vector control tool.
To conduct the study, the “Wolbachia” strain was introduced into the Asian tiger mosquito population by hybridization with the laboratory strain ARwP, which had already been tested as a vector control tool. As a consequence, eggs obtained from hybrid strain males and unmodified wild females were 99.9 percent sterile, demonstrating the viability of the tiger mosquito control program in Spain using Wolbachia.
According to experts, the use of Wolbachia bacteria marks a decisive advance in the fight against tiger mosquitoes and shows the importance of addressing new environmental health problems. However, it is critical to coordinate the implementation of effective pest management practices to protect communities from vector-borne diseases.
The tiger mosquito, native to Southeast Asia, has become one of the mosquito species of greatest concern in Spain due to its ability to transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya. It also stands out for its ability to reproduce and adapt, being an insect that can thrive especially in urban environments, which increases the risk of epidemic outbreaks.
The tiger mosquito was first discovered in Spain in 2004. Since then, this species has managed to settle in 40 Spanish provinces. There is also a risk of contracting diseases such as Zika, chikungunya or dengue. In fact, regarding dengue, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), a total of 16 cases of indigenous dengue have been reported in Spain since 2018.
The development of vaccines and drugs, as well as strategies to prevent and control large mosquito populations, has had limited success, experts say. And in recent years, pest control companies have also been faced with a new challenge: insecticide resistance in arboviral vectors (arthropod-borne viruses), a critical problem they are already addressing with new control strategies.
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