A landmark experiment in north Queensland could hold the key to combating the spread of mosquito-borne diseases including dengue and Zika.
Australian scientists managed to wipe out more than 80 per cent of the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) population near Innisfail, a sugar town in tropical far north Queensland, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced on July 10.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for infecting millions of people worldwide with diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya.
Last summer, CSIRO researchers introduced three million sterile male Aedes aegypti in three small towns in the Innisfail region. The local female mosquitos they mated with laid sterile eggs, causing the population to plummet.
Researchers also thanked the local community who allowed the team to install traps around homes and businesses.
“I certainly think with technology like this, and as it evolves over time, we will be in a situation where we could view a future Australia that didn’t have this mosquito,” he said.
“What we’ve demonstrated is the technology does work to at least suppressing (the mosquito populations).
“What Verily wants to do now is it wants to trial the technology in a location which has a large dengue problem.”