DILI, 03 august 2023 (TATOLI) – Filipe de Neri Machado, National Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, said that the preparation for the implementation of the Wolbachia method is underway.
“Our team is currently collecting Timor-Leste’s Aedes aegypti mosquitos to be sent to Australia to get and carry natural bacteria called Wolbachia back to Timor-Leste,” Machado told TATOLI, at his office, in Dili.
The Wolbachia method would be implemented first in the Administrative Post with the highest cumulative incidence of dengue cases in Dili, namely Dom Aleixo.
“This administrative post will receive Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes. When Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry safe and natural Wolbachia bacteria, they have a reduced ability to transmit viruses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, helping to protect communities from outbreaks,” he said.
He said that once the program is successfully implemented in Dom Aleixo, it will be extended to other administrative posts and other municipalities.
“We will have another meeting with our stakeholders including WHO, community leaders, and relevant parties to discuss the next steps to take for the implementation of the project,” he said.
Machado informed that the Ministry of Health and stakeholders will put effort to be able to send Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to Australia this year.
“It would probably take two to three months for these mosquitoes to catch the Wolbachia bacteria. Once the mosquitoes get the bacteria, we will bring them back to Timor-Leste,” he explained.
Wolbachia is a naturally occurring bacteria that is harmless to people and carried by 60 percent of insect species including fruit flies, dragonflies, and moths.
“The benefit of this project is to protect the communities from dengue,” Machado said
In 2021, Timor-Leste reported a surge of dengue cases at unusually high levels compared to previous years. There were 1451 reported cases and 10 deaths.
MoH has been working closely with Menzies Australia, and the World Mosquito Program led by Monash University in Australia to share related information and knowledge on the preparation process for the implementation of this prevention and control strategy to combat dengue in Timor-Leste.
The government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Health, has allocated US$4.7 million for the implementation of the Wolbachia method project.
The time frame for the implementation of the Wolbachia method will take place between 2023 and 2025
How mosquitoes with Wolbachia are used to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes:
- Wolbachia bacteria are not found in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.
- Scientists introduced Wolbachia into Ae. aegypti mosquito eggs.
- When male Ae. Aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia mate with wild female mosquitoes that do not have Wolbachia, the eggs will not hatch.
- Male mosquitoes with Wolbachia are released regularly into an area by mosquito control professionals.
- Male mosquitoes with Wolbachia mate with wild female mosquitoes.
- Because the eggs don’t hatch, the number of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes decrease.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
