Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to be release to control dengue

SEGAMAT: A project called the Wolbachia Mosquito Release project will release Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes in stages at locations with high dengue cases. Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced that 50 million Wolbachia mosquitoes have been released between July 2019 and May 2023 at 28 locations in Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka, Kelantan, Pahang, and Johor. The release will continue at existing locations and the ministry is identifying new locations for further release.

The highest number of locations, 10, is in Selangor, followed by seven in Kuala Lumpur. Dr Zaliha made this statement during a press conference after launching the Johor-level ‘Madani Afiat’ and national-level Gotong-Royong Mega Perangi Aedes 2.0 programmes at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Jawa.

Wolbachia is a bacterium found in 60%-70% of insects, spiders, and nematodes. It is used to prevent the transmission of dengue viruses when introduced into Aedes mosquitoes. The bacterium inhibits the replication of the dengue virus, reducing the spread of the virus through mosquito bites.

During the event, 415 volunteers from MyCHAMPION COMBI in Segamat and ‘Hero Kebersihan’ from SWCorp joined government and private agencies in detecting and cleaning activities to control dengue cases. Dr Zaliha emphasized the importance of such activities in curbing dengue fever, which continues to pose a public health threat. Between January and August 12 of this year, there have been 73,680 cases, a 117% increase compared to the same period last year. Fatalities for the same period have increased by 141%, from 22 to 53.

Dr Zaliha mentioned that the ‘Madani Afiat’ programme implemented in Segamat is the fourth of its kind, following Selangor, Kedah, and Terengganu. The programme now includes cholesterol tests using the TouchPoint method conducted through door-to-door screenings. The screening was conducted by 130 nurses from the Batu Pahat MOH Training Institute. Future Madani Afiat programmes will offer cholesterol screenings in addition to blood pressure and blood glucose level screenings, as well as education on healthy lifestyles.

-Bernama