More than 130 million disease-reducing mosquitoes are being released in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, after cases of dengue hit a record high globally in 2024 at over 14.4 million – more than double the previous record of 2023 [1], with children at greater risk of severe dengue illness. The lab-grown mosquitoes carry a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which reduces the insect’s ability to transmit deadly viruses to people, decreasing the risk of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever outbreaks. When Wolbachia mosquitoes are released, they breed with wild…
Read MoreGrown in a lab, released in the wild: Laos unleashes over 130 million disease-reducing mosquitoes after global dengue surge
