World Mosquito Program (WMP)

Mosquitoes have survived for 220 million years. Here's why that matters for disease prevention. Did you know mosquitoes first appeared in the late Triassic period – outlasting dinosaurs and adapting to nearly every environment on Earth? In short, they're incredibly resilient, which is exactly why our Wolbachia method works with nature, not against it. Instead of fighting nature, we're protecting communities from mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika and chikungunya using a naturally occurring bacterium. #funfactfriday #mosquitofacts #wolbachia #dengue

Did you know the average mosquito lives less than two months? Males live 10 days or less, while females can live up to eight weeks. But here's what this means for dengue prevention: female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia live their natural lifespan - continuing to breed and pass the bacteria to future generations throughout those weeks. That's why our wolbachia method is self-sustaining. Each generation passes Wolbachia to the next, creating long-term protection without ongoing releases. One deployment. Decades of protection. That's how we redefine possible. #funfactfriday #redefinepossible #wolbachia #dengue

Before 2011, dengue outbreaks happened every summer in north Queensland. Today, the region is effectively dengue-free. It started in January 2011 when our founder and CEO, Scott O'Neill, released the first Wolbachia mosquitoes into a suburban front yard in Cairns. Communities across the region had spent months learning about the method, asking questions, and eventually agreeing to participate. Around 144,000 people across 112 km² now have access to this protection. Brett Whithead, a Townsville resident, reflects on the change: "No one's talking about dengue anymore, because it's really not a thing here." Queensland communities showed what's possible when people and science work together. #ThrowbackThursday #TBT #Australia #Cairns #Dengue #Wolbachia

Nature Magazine recently published an in-depth look at our work in Brazil - and why it matters for the 3.9 billion people at risk of dengue infection worldwide. What makes Brazil's scale-up significant: ✅ Curitiba biofactory: 100 million eggs per week ✅ Already protecting 5+ million people across 8 cities ✅ Government commitment: 140 million people targeted over next decade ✅ Proven results: 89% reduction in cases Our wolbachia method offers a self-sustaining approach: one deployment, decades of protection using naturally occurring bacteria to block dengue transmission. Nature's coverage highlights what we've been demonstrating for over a decade: when we reimagine prevention as sustainable and self-sustaining, we redefine what's possible. This well written article by Lucila Pinto also explores Brazil's locally produced dengue vaccine in development, showing how multiple approaches work together. Vaccine for individual protection. Wolbachia for community-level prevention. As Annelies Wilder-Smith, World Health Organization team lead for vaccine development, said: "Invest in both. And it's a long-term investment, because dengue will not go away. It will just get worse." We're not solving this year's dengue problem. We're building infrastructure for the next decade of public health. Read the full Nature article via the comments below 👇 #Brazil #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #Wolbachia #Dengue

Joinville, a city in southern Brazil, is expanding access to dengue prevention. From 2023-2024, the city experienced 86 dengue deaths. Communities were struggling. Hospitals were overwhelmed. Families were losing loved ones. Phase 1 of the Wolbachia method covered 17 neighbourhoods, protecting 360,000 people. Today, dengue deaths in those areas have dropped to zero. Phase 2 is now beginning - 15 additional neighbourhoods, reaching another 150,000 people. By the end of this phase, 75% of Joinville's population will have access to this protection. This work happens because of local teams. Endemic control agents like Lúcia Jordan start at 6am, four days a week, releasing Wolbachia mosquitoes through their neighbourhoods. By 9:30am, the morning's work is done. The mosquitoes breed naturally with local populations, passing Wolbachia to future generations. The small biofactory in Joinville also supports neighbouring communities - Blumenau and Balneário Camboriú are beginning their own deployments. What's made this possible: Months of community engagement before any releases began People willing to understand the science and ask questions Trust built through visible results Local health workers who know their communities Noel Maciel Junior runs a coffee house in Joinville. He's watched the change: "The incidence of disease has really decreased. The dengue mosquito is no longer acting so violently on the city." There's still work to do. But communities like Joinville show what's possible when people, science, and sustained effort come together. Read Noel's perspective via the link in the comments below 👇 #DenguePrevention #PublicHealth #Brazil #Joinville

🎙️ NPR's All Things Considered visited Brazil recently to explore how our Wolbachia method is helping combat dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. Science journalist Ari Daniel followed releases during the first phase in Joinville and reported on how we're scaling up our operations across the country in partnership with the Brazilian health authorities. The approach is straightforward: instead of killing mosquitoes, we introduce naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria that prevents them from transmitting dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. When these mosquitoes breed with local populations, the protection spreads and maintains itself over time. In Niterói, where we've been working since 2015, dengue cases dropped by around 89% compared to the decade prior. Now, Brazil is expanding the programme to protect 140 million people across 40 municipalities over the next decade. None of this would be possible without the trust and collaboration of local communities, health workers, and government partners who've embraced this approach. Listen to the full episode via the link in the comments👇 #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #Dengue #Brazil #Wolbachia #CommunityHealth Wolbito do Brasil World Mosquito Program Brasil (WMP Brasil)

Did you know male mosquitoes locate females by the sound of their wings? Male mosquitoes can detect the specific wingbeat frequency of females - around 400-500 beats per second. It's how they find their mates in the air. But here's what matters for dengue prevention: only female mosquitoes bite. Males feed on nectar and plant juices. So when we release Wolbachia mosquitoes - both males and females - we're ensuring the bacteria spreads through the entire population as they naturally breed. One deployment. Self-sustaining protection. Decades of results. That's how we redefine possible. #funfactfriday #redefinepossible #wolbachia #dengue

#ThrowbackThursday: March 2018 - Our first mosquito releases in New Caledonia. Seven years ago, we partnered with the Government of New Caledonia, the City of Nouméa, and Institut Pasteur to protect this South Pacific territory from dengue. Seven years later: ✅ Zero dengue epidemics since 2019 ✅ 86% of mosquitoes carry Wolbachia ✅ €67 million in averted health costs ✅ 94% public acceptance across communities From Nouméa to Mont-Dore, Dumbéa, and Païta - four communities now protected. Hospital systems spared from dengue outbreaks for over five years. "Since 2019, despite the COVID crises and the leptospirosis epidemics, the hospital sector has been spared." - Dr Marc Jouan, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie From first release to dengue-free territory - that's what long-term partnerships deliver. When we reimagine prevention, we redefine possible. Read our story about our success in New Caledonia - link in the comments below #TBT #NewCaledonia #DenguePrevention #WolbachiaMethod #PublicHealth #RedefinePossible

"While I am releasing the mosquitoes, I feel happy. Because to me it is as if I am saving lives." That's Lúcia Jordan, an endemic control agent in Joinville, Brazil. Lúcia knows what dengue feels like. She contracted the virus just days before starting her role in environmental surveillance - a week of severe pain, high fever, chills, and headaches. "So from that moment on, when I learned about the Wolbachia project, I decided that I would also fight against this disease." 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲: 6am: Load vehicles with containers of Wolbachia mosquitoes GPS-guided routes through designated neighbourhoods Release mosquitoes at specific points Finished by 9:30am She's the sole female releaser on the team. As she and Giulia (driver) stop at each release point, onlookers watch with curiosity. Many ask questions. Most reactions are positive - people already know about the project from the internet, community events, or neighbours who participated in Phase 1. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟭 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲: ✔️ From 86 dengue deaths (2023-2024) to zero deaths today ✔️ Phase 1 now protects 360,000 people across 17 neighbourhoods "In Joinville, the project has had a very big impact," Lúcia reflects. "It is very significant to know that today the city has no deaths. And it's thanks to this project." 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟮 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝟭𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. Lúcia pauses after the first round of releases, contemplating the project's ambition: "I see it like this: Wolbachia can not only benefit Joinville, or the neighbourhoods where we're already in the second phase, but all municipalities of Santa Catarina, and even all of Brazil. This is a project that has already proven to work. For me, I feel very happy to be part of this project." 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮, 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸. Read Lúcia's full story via the link in the comments below 👇 #Dengue #Joinville #Brazil #PublicHealth #WolbachiaMethod #redfinepossible Wolbito do Brasil World Mosquito Program Brasil (WMP Brasil)