New solutions against the dengue global threat: opportunities for Wolbachia interventions

Reliance on traditional vector control methods, such as insecticides and “clean up” source reduction efforts for reducing mosquito breeding sites, has proven increasingly ineffective and costly in the battle against dengue. The Wolbachia-based mosquito replacement strategy, which replaces wild mosquitoes with mosquitoes trans-infected with Wolbachia bacteria, preventing up to 77% dengue transmission, represents an advancement in prevention. Integrating this approach into current routine dengue control efforts could reduce dengue incidence. However, challenges such as implementation costs, the need for country ownership, alignment of released mosquitoes with local mosquito populations, increased education and sensitization for government authorities and the public on the benefits of Wolbachia, identifying international funding partners, and recognizing areas where the strategy may be less effective due to environmental or socio-political factors must be addressed. Furthermore, Wolbachia replacement must focus in areas with high population density and high dengue incidence because it is not feasible to cover all endemic areas. Establishing robust surveillance systems to monitor efficacy against different dengue serotypes is also critical. Despite these challenges, the Wolbachia strategy is the one of the most promising developments in dengue prevention to date. By complementing this approach with effective vaccines, we have the unprecedented opportunity to significantly reduce dengue.