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Simmons CP, Donald W, Tagavi L, Tarivonda L, Quai T, Tavoa R, Noran T, Manikaoti E, Kareaua L, Abwai TT, Chand D, Rama V, Deo V, Deo KK, Tavuii A, Valentine W, Prasad R, Seru E, Naituku L, Ratu A, Hesketh M, Kenny N, Beebe SC, Goundar AA, McCaw A, Buntine M, Green B, Frossard T, Gilles JRL, Joubert DA, Wilson G, Duong LQ, Bouvier JB, Stanford D, Forder C, Duyvestyn JM, Pacidônio EC, Flores HA, Wittmeier N, Retzki K, Ryan PA, Denton JA, Smithyman R, Tanamas SK, Kyrylos P, Dong Y, Khalid A, Hodgson L, Anders KL, O’Neill SL. Successful introgression of wMel Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations in Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012022. [PMID: 38484041 PMCID: PMC10980184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Pacific Island countries have experienced periodic dengue, chikungunya and Zika outbreaks for decades. The prevention and control of these mosquito-borne diseases rely heavily on control of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which in most settings are the primary vector. Introgression of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis (wMel strain) into Ae. aegypti populations reduces their vector competence and consequently lowers dengue incidence in the human population. Here we describe successful area-wide deployments of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti in Suva, Lautoka, Nadi (Fiji), Port Vila (Vanuatu) and South Tarawa (Kiribati). With community support, weekly releases of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes for between 2 to 5 months resulted in wMel introgression in nearly all locations. Long term monitoring confirmed a high, self-sustaining prevalence of wMel infecting mosquitoes in almost all deployment areas. Measurement of public health outcomes were disrupted by the Covid19 pandemic but are expected to emerge in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wesley Donald
- Ministry of Health, Government of Vanuatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Lekon Tagavi
- Ministry of Health, Government of Vanuatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Len Tarivonda
- Ministry of Health, Government of Vanuatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | | | | | - Tebikau Noran
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Kiribati Government, Kiribati
| | - Erirau Manikaoti
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Kiribati Government, Kiribati
| | - Lavinia Kareaua
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Kiribati Government, Kiribati
| | | | - Dip Chand
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Government of Fiji, Suva, Fiji
| | - Vineshwaran Rama
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Government of Fiji, Suva, Fiji
| | - Vimal Deo
- Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Government of Fiji, Suva, Fiji
| | | | - Aminiasi Tavuii
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Anaseini Ratu
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Mark Hesketh
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Sarah C. Beebe
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | - Andrew McCaw
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Molly Buntine
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ben Green
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Tibor Frossard
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | | | - Geoff Wilson
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Le Quyen Duong
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jean B Bouvier
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Darren Stanford
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Carolyn Forder
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Kate Retzki
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Peter A. Ryan
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jai A. Denton
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ruth Smithyman
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | - Peter Kyrylos
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Yi Dong
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Anam Khalid
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Lauren Hodgson
- World Mosquito Program, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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O'Neill SL, Ryan PA, Turley AP, Wilson G, Retzki K, Iturbe-Ormaetxe I, Dong Y, Kenny N, Paton CJ, Ritchie SA, Brown-Kenyon J, Stanford D, Wittmeier N, Jewell NP, Tanamas SK, Anders KL, Simmons CP. Scaled deployment of Wolbachia to protect the community from dengue and other Aedes transmitted arboviruses. Gates Open Res 2019; 2:36. [PMID: 30596205 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.12844.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: A number of new technologies are under development for the control of mosquito transmitted viruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika that all require the release of modified mosquitoes into the environment. None of these technologies has been able to demonstrate evidence that they can be implemented at a scale beyond small pilots. Here we report the first successful citywide scaled deployment of Wolbachia in the northern Australian city of Townsville. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into a local Aedes aegypti genotype and mass reared mosquitoes were deployed as eggs using mosquito release containers (MRCs). In initial stages these releases were undertaken by program staff but in later stages this was replaced by direct community release including the development of a school program that saw children undertake releases. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken with Biogents Sentinel (BGS) traps and individual mosquitoes were screened for the presence of Wolbachia with a Taqman qPCR or LAMP diagnostic assay. Dengue case notifications from Queensland Health Communicable Disease Branch were used to track dengue cases in the city before and after release. Results: Wolbachia was successfully established into local Ae. aegypti mosquitoes across 66 km 2 in four stages over 28 months with full community support. A feature of the program was the development of a scaled approach to community engagement. Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable since deployment and to date no local dengue transmission has been confirmed in any area of Townsville after Wolbachia has established, despite local transmission events every year for the prior 13 years and an epidemiological context of increasing imported cases. Conclusion: Deployment of Wolbachia into Ae. aegypti populations can be readily scaled to areas of ~60km 2 quickly and cost effectively and appears in this context to be effective at stopping local dengue transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Peter A Ryan
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew P Turley
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Kate Retzki
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | | | - Yi Dong
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher J Paton
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Scott A Ritchie
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Jack Brown-Kenyon
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Darren Stanford
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Natalie Wittmeier
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA.,Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Stephanie K Tanamas
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Katherine L Anders
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Cameron P Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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O'Neill SL, Ryan PA, Turley AP, Wilson G, Retzki K, Iturbe-Ormaetxe I, Dong Y, Kenny N, Paton CJ, Ritchie SA, Brown-Kenyon J, Stanford D, Wittmeier N, Jewell NP, Tanamas SK, Anders KL, Simmons CP. Scaled deployment of Wolbachia to protect the community from dengue and other Aedes transmitted arboviruses. Gates Open Res 2019. [PMID: 30596205 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.12844.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: A number of new technologies are under development for the control of mosquito transmitted viruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika that all require the release of modified mosquitoes into the environment. None of these technologies has been able to demonstrate evidence that they can be implemented at a scale beyond small pilots. Here we report the first successful citywide scaled deployment of Wolbachia in the northern Australian city of Townsville. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into a local Aedes aegypti genotype and mass reared mosquitoes were deployed as eggs using mosquito release containers (MRCs). In initial stages these releases were undertaken by program staff but in later stages this was replaced by direct community release including the development of a school program that saw children undertake releases. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken with Biogents Sentinel (BGS) traps and individual mosquitoes were screened for the presence of Wolbachia with a Taqman qPCR or LAMP diagnostic assay. Dengue case notifications from Queensland Health Communicable Disease Branch were used to track dengue cases in the city before and after release. Results: Wolbachia was successfully established into local Ae. aegypti mosquitoes across 66 km 2 in four stages over 28 months with full community support. A feature of the program was the development of a scaled approach to community engagement. Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable since deployment and to date no local dengue transmission has been confirmed in any area of Townsville after Wolbachia has established, despite local transmission events every year for the prior 13 years and an epidemiological context of increasing imported cases. Conclusion: Deployment of Wolbachia into Ae. aegypti populations can be readily scaled to areas of ~60km 2 quickly and cost effectively and appears in this context to be effective at stopping local dengue transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Peter A Ryan
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew P Turley
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Kate Retzki
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | | | - Yi Dong
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher J Paton
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Scott A Ritchie
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Jack Brown-Kenyon
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Darren Stanford
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Natalie Wittmeier
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA.,Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Stephanie K Tanamas
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Katherine L Anders
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Cameron P Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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O'Neill SL, Ryan PA, Turley AP, Wilson G, Retzki K, Iturbe-Ormaetxe I, Dong Y, Kenny N, Paton CJ, Ritchie SA, Brown-Kenyon J, Stanford D, Wittmeier N, Jewell NP, Tanamas SK, Anders KL, Simmons CP. Scaled deployment of Wolbachia to protect the community from dengue and other Aedes transmitted arboviruses. Gates Open Res 2019; 2:36. [PMID: 30596205 PMCID: PMC6305154 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.12844.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: A number of new technologies are under development for the control of mosquito transmitted viruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika that all require the release of modified mosquitoes into the environment. None of these technologies has been able to demonstrate evidence that they can be implemented at a scale beyond small pilots. Here we report the first successful citywide scaled deployment of
Wolbachia in the northern Australian city of Townsville. Methods: The
wMel strain of
Wolbachia was backcrossed into a local
Aedes aegypti genotype and mass reared mosquitoes were deployed as eggs using mosquito release containers (MRCs). In initial stages these releases were undertaken by program staff but in later stages this was replaced by direct community release including the development of a school program that saw children undertake releases. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken with Biogents Sentinel (BGS) traps and individual mosquitoes were screened for the presence of
Wolbachia with a Taqman qPCR or LAMP diagnostic assay. Dengue case notifications from Queensland Health Communicable Disease Branch were used to track dengue cases in the city before and after release. Results:
Wolbachia was successfully established into local
Ae. aegypti mosquitoes across 66 km
2 in four stages over 28 months with full community support. A feature of the program was the development of a scaled approach to community engagement.
Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable since deployment and to date no local dengue transmission has been confirmed in any area of Townsville after
Wolbachia has established, despite local transmission events every year for the prior 13 years and an epidemiological context of increasing imported cases. Conclusion: Deployment of
Wolbachia into
Ae. aegypti populations can be readily scaled to areas of ~60km
2 quickly and cost effectively and appears in this context to be effective at stopping local dengue transmission
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Peter A Ryan
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew P Turley
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Kate Retzki
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | | | - Yi Dong
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher J Paton
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Scott A Ritchie
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
| | - Jack Brown-Kenyon
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Darren Stanford
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Natalie Wittmeier
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA.,Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Stephanie K Tanamas
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Katherine L Anders
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Cameron P Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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