Dengue fever can be a debilitating, sometimes fatal illness, but it is completely preventable. Sadly, recent data indicate that cases are increasing at dangerous rates around the globe. In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded half a million cases. By 2024, that number jumped to more than 14.6 million! This rapid escalation is a call to action for a complete, sustained, and well-supported intervention to fight this deadly disease. The Driving Down Dengue project in Vientiane, Laos, represents a forward-thinking approach to reduce dengue transmission by utilizing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.
The project has led to the release of more than 130 million mosquitoes raised in Melbourne, Australia. These mosquitoes, infected with the locally-acting Wolbachia bacteria, have already proved effective in suppressing dengue outbreaks across the world in places like Indonesia, Brazil, and Australia. The collaborative program unites resources from the Laos government, Save the Children International, the Australian government, and the World Mosquito Program. This concerted effort improves its inclusiveness and effectiveness. Through the use of this innovative strategy, stakeholders hope to strengthen their health security at the local level and prevent loss of life.
Dengue fever, for instance, can be fatal. In just the first half of 2025, nearly 3,000 deaths were reported from this disease. Monkhai, a 33-year-old climate consultant who developed dengue in 2020, recalled his life-threatening experience after an extreme outbreak. He described the debilitating symptoms he faced: “I felt really exhausted for three days. Sore as heck … but sore in the opposite way.” His experience highlights the crucial importance that such preventive measures be made more effective.
Rising Cases and Severity of Dengue
As a result, dengue fever has become a pronounced worldwide threat to public health. According to the WHO, “In 2024, more cases of dengue were recorded than ever before in a 12-month period, affecting over 100 countries on all continents.” Our data showed that both continued person-to-person transmission and growth in large clusters with sharp increases in incidence led to a record 14.6 million dengue cases that year. Tragically, over 12,000 people died from the disease.
The disease is a major threat to health systems at the height of the transmission season and is a silent killer, particularly among children. Associate Professor Tessa Knox emphasized the potential consequences: “Dengue is a serious but preventable disease. It strains health systems during peaks of the disease and is especially dangerous for children.” Given the frequency of cases, it is imperative that we have the best and most effective control measures in place.
What’s more, they warn that a significant portion of dengue infections are never reported. Consequently, the true burden of the disease may be more than three times greater than recorded estimates. The increasing burden of dengue infections demands new approaches to reduce the effect it has on our communities.
The Driving Down Dengue Project
Under the guidance of the Driving Down Dengue project, our goal was to stop the transmission of dengue in Vientiane by strategically releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. These genetically modified mosquitoes are intended to lower populations of mosquitoes that spread dengue fever, zika virus, and chikungunya. Australian Ambassador Megan Jones welcomed the initiative with great fervor. She couldn’t have focused on a nicer program, and she beamed as she declared, “The technology that’s powering this program is Australian.”
Health Minister Baikham Khatthiya echoed this sentiment, stating that this “new innovation in dengue control may be an effective way for us to control dengue disease.” He expressed confidence in the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health and various partners: “I am confident that with the cooperation between the Ministry of Health, development partners, and all levels of local authorities in this implementation, we will certainly be able to achieve success.”
The program has seen success in dumping grounds of other countries, such as Brazil and Indonesia. Luke Ebbs, Save the Children’s country director in Laos, shared that the initiative aims not only to reduce the number of dengue cases but to save lives: “Dengue is a serious but preventable disease.”
The Future of Dengue Control
This use of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes would be a tremendous advance in efforts to suppress the spread of dengue fever. Experts caution that while the technology has shown positive results in certain populations, it should be used alongside other mosquito control measures. Tessa Knox, an associate professor at the Kennedy School of Government, noted that this approach has produced very promising results. Yet, she added, we need to make sure we are deploying the right mosquito controls that can work in tandem with it.
So far, the technology has focused on just one mosquito species that carries dengue. New research could expand its applications down the road. As Monkhai reflected on his experience with dengue, he underscored the importance of such initiatives: “It has made most people at ease because our hometown is located in a tropical zone, and mosquitoes like to live in such areas.”
