Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Maintaining Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Infected with Wolbachia
Published on: August 14, 2017
Detecting wMel Wolbachia in field-collected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using loop-mediated isothermal amplification
Daniela da Silva Gonçalves1, David J Hooker2, Yi Dong2
1World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, 12 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia. danisgbio@hotmail.com.
Background:
The World Mosquito Program uses Wolbachia pipientis for the biocontrol of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Diagnostic testing for Wolbachia in laboratory colonies and in field-caught mosquito populations has typically employed PCR. New, simpler methods to diagnose Wolbachia infection in mosquitoes are required for large-scale operational use.
Methods:
Field-collected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from North Queensland were tested using primers designed to detect the Wolbachia wsp gene, specific to the strain wMel. The results were analysed by colour change in the reaction mix. Furthermore, to confirm the efficiency of the LAMP assay, the results were compared to the gold-standard qPCR test.
Results:
A novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) colorimetric test for the wMel strain of Wolbachia was designed, developed and validated for use in a high-throughput setting. Against the standard qPCR test, the analytical sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic metrics were: sensitivity (99.6%), specificity (92.2%), positive predictive value (97.08%) and negative predictive value (99.30%).
Conclusions:
We describe an alternative, novel and high-throughput method for diagnosing wMel Wolbachia infections in mosquitoes. This assay should support Wolbachia surveillance in both laboratory and field populations of Ae. aegypti.
More Related Videos
08:03Reverse Transcription-Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification RT-LAMP Assay for Zika Virus and Housekeeping Genes in Urine, Serum, and Mosquito Samples
Published on: September 14, 2018
06:57Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification LAMP Assays for the Species-specific Detection of Eimeria that Infect Chickens
Published on: February 20, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop
Force On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field
Torque On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field
Consider a rectangular current-carrying loop containing N turns of wire, placed in a uniform magnetic field. The net force on a current-carrying loop...
Isothermal Processes
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
Feedback Loops
RACE - Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends