3,000 Aedes mosquitoes were just intentionally released at Braddell Heights estate, and the culprits will return to release more in the next six months. Still, residents are not complaining because the guilty party is the NEA and it’s all part of their plan to curb mosquito numbers – by playing the role of mozzie SDN.
Horrors!
These newly released male mozzies have all been infected with Wolbachia (a naturally occurring bacteria) which they can then pass on to female mosquitoes, making them lay eggs that don’t hatch. The idea is to introduce these mozzie Lotharios to effectively wipe out the Aedes population by seducing the females, and put the wild population of males out of a mate.
Researchers, using traps along Jalan Sukachita, are currently monitoring these winged lovers to see how well they survive in Singapore’s urban jungle.
And don’t worry, these boys don’t bite. They’re totally vegan.
In addition to Braddell Heights, two other sites will shortly be hearing the buzz, as they also take part in NEA’s mozzie-freeing experiment – Tampines West (Oct 28) and Nee Soon East (Nov 15).
Man vs Nature
While it might be discomforting to think of more infected mosquitoes running free, unlike the dengue or Zika virus, Wolbachia has been shown in studies to be safe for humans, with a negligible impact on the environment.
Still, the real world is so complex it tends to surprise us. Take OX513A for instance, a GMO mosquito breed designed to pass on a killer gene. Offspring with the gene overwhelmingly die if deprived of the chemical tetracycline. And that sounds effective, until you realise that tetracycline is a common antibiotic found in industrially farmed meat. A study found 18% of mozzie offspring with the killer gene survived when fed cat food. Let’s hope Wolbachia has fewer surprises for us.
If a man-made Wolbachia outbreak amongst mozzies impacts hatch rates, these winged Lotharios could be recruited as part of NEA’s vector-control army to manage the plethora of diseases spread by the Aedes mosquito – like Zika. Let’s hope that frequent foggings won’t kill these Casanovas too soon.
Vampire bugs – watch out.
By Vincent Tan
