Eliminate all mosquito-borne viruses by permanently immunizing mosquitoes
Biorisk and Recovery from Catastrophe
Billions of people are at risk from mosquito-borne viruses, including the threat of new viruses emerging. Over a century of large-scale attempts to eradicate mosquitoes as virus vectors has changed little: there could be significant value in demonstrating large-scale, permanent vector control for both general deployment and rapid response to novel viruses. Recent research has shown that infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia, a bacterium, out-competes viruses (including dengue, yellow fever and Zika), preventing the virus from replicating within the insect, essentially immunizing it. The bacterium passes to future generations by infecting mosquito eggs, allowing a small release of immunized mosquitoes to gradually and permanently immunize an entire population of mosquitoes. We are interested in proposals for taking this technology to massive scale, with a particular focus on rapid deployment in the case of novel mosquito-borne viruses.
Epistemic status: Wolbachia impact on dengue fever has been demonstrated in a large RCT and about 10 city-level pilots. Impact on other viruses only shown in labs. The approach is likely to protect against novel viruses but that has not been demonstrated.
Conflict of interest: I work for a small, new nonprofit focused on $B giving. I have had conversations with potential Wolbachia implementers to understand their work but have no direct commercial interest.
Eliminate all mosquito-borne viruses by permanently immunizing mosquitoes
Biorisk and Recovery from Catastrophe
Billions of people are at risk from mosquito-borne viruses, including the threat of new viruses emerging. Over a century of large-scale attempts to eradicate mosquitoes as virus vectors has changed little: there could be significant value in demonstrating large-scale, permanent vector control for both general deployment and rapid response to novel viruses. Recent research has shown that infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia, a bacterium, out-competes viruses (including dengue, yellow fever and Zika), preventing the virus from replicating within the insect, essentially immunizing it. The bacterium passes to future generations by infecting mosquito eggs, allowing a small release of immunized mosquitoes to gradually and permanently immunize an entire population of mosquitoes. We are interested in proposals for taking this technology to massive scale, with a particular focus on rapid deployment in the case of novel mosquito-borne viruses.
Epistemic status: Wolbachia impact on dengue fever has been demonstrated in a large RCT and about 10 city-level pilots. Impact on other viruses only shown in labs. The approach is likely to protect against novel viruses but that has not been demonstrated.
Conflict of interest: I work for a small, new nonprofit focused on $B giving. I have had conversations with potential Wolbachia implementers to understand their work but have no direct commercial interest.