Australian researchers have managed to eliminate a pest mosquito species. 

In a first for the Southern Hemisphere, researchers have used a bacteria to successfully sterilise and eradicate the invasive, disease carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The bug is responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever and Zika.

The landmark trial involved releasing three million male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Northern Queensland, sterilised with bacteria called Wolbachia, across three trial sites over a 20-week period during the summer of 2018. 

The sterile male insects search out and mate with wild females, preventing the production of offspring.

Scientists returned the following year and found one of the trial sites, Mourilyan in Queensland, was almost devoid of mosquitoes.

The trial was an international collaboration between Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, University of Queensland (UQ), Verily Life Sciences, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and James Cook University (JCU).

CSIRO scientist and UQ Associate Professor, Nigel Beebe, said the trial demonstrates the technique is robust and capable of effectively suppressing mosquito populations.

“During the trial, we saw over 80 per cent of the mosquito population suppressed across our three trial sites,” Associate Professor Beebe said.

“When we surveyed the sites the following year, we were very encouraged to see the suppression still in effect, with one of our most productive towns for Aedes aegypti almost devoid of this mosquito with a 97 per cent reduction across the following season.

“One year on, the mosquito population at the second trial site remained substantially suppressed, while the population fully recovered at the third site.

“We are currently investigating the differences observed in the following mosquito season as they are incredibly informative in further developing this technology and in modelling how we could remove this exotic virus-transmitting pest in other locations worldwide.”

The technique can also be used to remove the virus-transmitting Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, that has now established at Australia’s doorstep in the Torres Strait Islands.

More details are accessible here.