There is an expected decrease in the total of mosquito‑borne diseases in the country with the launch of the World Mosquito Programme which aims to protect the global community from diseases such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya.
Speaking to Fijivillage at the launch, the Chief Health Inspector and National Advisor Environmental Health, Dip Chand says that the programme aims to harvest the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae and inserting them with Wolbachia bacterium.
Chand says the Ministry exported millions of eggs to Monash University in Australia because it has the facility for this process where eggs will be inserted with Wolbachia bacterium.
He says that the egg is then brought back to Fiji and grown to adult mosquitoes before they are released in stages.
Chand says that the biting rate will remain and mosquitos will always be there as they play a vital role in the ecological system but there will be no transmission.
He says if a dengue carrier is bitten by a Wolbachia mosquito, it will not be able to transmit dengue to other people.
Chand says that the Wolbachia blocks the transmission of dengue virus.
He says that these Wolbachia mosquitos will be released mid this year.
Pioneered by Australian researchers, the World Mosquito Programme uses safe and natural bacteria called Wolbachia to reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit these viruses.
The Programme has expanded rapidly since launching its first pilot study in Australia in 2011.
Following promising results from international pilot studies, local governments and communities are embracing the WMP’s Wolbachia method in 12 countries, with further projects in development.
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