Large-scale releases and establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes throughout the Cities of Bello, Medellín and Itagüí, Colombia.
Iván Darío VelezAlexander UribeJovany BarajasSandra UribeSandra ÁngelJuan David Suaza-VascoMaria Camila Mejia TorresMaría Patricia ArbeláezEduardo Santacruz-SanmartinLorena DuqueLuis MartínezTania PosadaAna Cristina PatiñoSandra Milena GonzalezAna Lucía VelezJennifer RamírezMarlene SalazarSandra GómezJorge E OsorioInaki Iturbe-OrmaetxeYi DongFrederico C MuzziEdwige RancesPetrina H JohnsonRuth SmithymanBruno ColBenjamin R GreenTibor FrossardJack Brown-KenyonD Albert JoubertNelson GrisalesScott A RitchieJai Andrew DentonJeremie R L GillesKatherine L AndersSimon C KutcherPeter A RyanScott L O'NeillPublished in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases (2023)
These results, from the largest contiguous releases of wMel Wolbachia mosquitoes to date, highlight the operational feasibility of implementing the method in large urban settings. Based on results from previous studies, we expect that Wolbachia establishment will be sustained long term. Ongoing monitoring will confirm Wolbachia persistence in local mosquito populations and track its establishment in the remaining areas.