Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
September 30, 2020
For the moment, on the Caillou, only Noum?a is experimenting with the device. The first mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria were released a little over a year ago. For the World Mosquito Program, which carries the project, the first assessment is positive.
Impossible to differentiate them, yet they are there, all around us. Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia. A natural bacteria, presented as harmless which reduces the ability of mosquitoes to transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya.
Less dengue this year, is that a sign?
There have been few cases of dengue this year. Could it be thanks to the Wolbachia bacteria? At this stage Nad?ge Rossi prefers to remain cautious:
" It is still a bit early to put them in touch, it is true that generally we have had few cases of dengue, whether in Noum?a or in other municipalities this year. That said, in the cases that we have observed, where we had high levels of Wolbachia, we have seen that there were no transmissions on people with dengue. 'other neighborhoods, where we could see epidemic foci, we realized that Wolbachia were not well established. "
For the moment, on the Caillou, only Noum?a is experimenting with the device. The first mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria were released a little over a year ago. For the World Mosquito Program, which carries the project, the first assessment is positive.
Impossible to differentiate them, yet they are there, all around us. Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia. A natural bacteria, presented as harmless which reduces the ability of mosquitoes to transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya.
On average throughout the municipality, we are roughly half of the mosquitoes that are carriers of the Wolbachia bacteria. It varies depending on the area, others are 70% carrier and others a little less. That's why we would like to intervene a second time from the month of December.
-Nad?ge Rossi, project manager for the World mosquito Program
Less dengue this year, is that a sign?
There have been few cases of dengue this year. Could it be thanks to the Wolbachia bacteria? At this stage Nad?ge Rossi prefers to remain cautious:
" It is still a bit early to put them in touch, it is true that generally we have had few cases of dengue, whether in Noum?a or in other municipalities this year. That said, in the cases that we have observed, where we had high levels of Wolbachia, we have seen that there were no transmissions on people with dengue. 'other neighborhoods, where we could see epidemic foci, we realized that Wolbachia were not well established. "