Wolbachia: The selfish Trojan Horse in dengue control

Dengue fever has re-emerged as a major public health challenge. Of late, several promising attempts have been made to control the disease with limited success. An innovative method of biological control of dengue is the use of the bacterium Wolbachia. Selected strains of Wolbachia have been introduced into Aedes aegypti to prevent transmission of dengue viruses by the vector. Wolbachia prevents dengue transmission by either directly blocking the virus or by decreasing the lifespan of the vector. The mechanism by which it causes these effects is not clearly understood. The main concern of this technique is the emergence of a new dengue virus serotype which may evade the protection offered by Wolbachia. The technique is environment friendly and holds promise for control of other vector borne diseases.