Lab-grown special mosquitoes can be the secret weapon to fight dengue

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Lab-grown special mosquitoes can be the secret weapon to fight dengue

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M. Jain,  MONGABAY,  2023.

The World Mosquito Program infects the Aedes aegypti, which carries the dengue virus, with a bacteria called Wolbachia, which reduces the transmission of dengue. Dengue infections are rapidly increasing because of factors like urbanisation and climate change. The World Health Organization estimates approximately 390 million dengue infections annually, with 3.9 billion people at risk. In India, the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) has been studying this method since 2016 to assess if it works against dengue, which has been increasing in the country.