3/21/2016

1

Non‐Transgenic Replacement and Suppression of Vector Mosquitoes

Stephen Dobson

13 March, 2016

Summit on the Aedes aegypti Crisis in the Americas: Joining Together to Address a Grand Challenge

Maceió, Brazil

3/21/2016

2

Classical Sterile Insect Technique via Irradiation… several success stories in agriculture.

• Screw Worm Fly• Mediteranean Fruit Fly• Pink Boll Worm

3/21/2016

3

Classical Sterile Insect Technique via Irradiation

… but hasn’t worked well with mosquitoes

3/21/2016

4

X

X

X

X

Bidirectional IncompatibilityBidirectional Incompatibility

Aedes aegypti

Scott O’Neill

3/21/2016

5

Wolbachia‐basedStrategies

• Population Replacement• Release of Wolbachia infected females

• Goal: NOT intended as a pesticide; no reduction of the Ae. aegypti population

• Goal: infect local populations of mosquitoes with Wolbachia, which is intended to interfere with virus transmission

• Wolbachia Suppression

• Release of Wolbachia infected males

• Goal: reduce mosquito densities with sterile male releases (similar to insecticides)

• Aedes albopictus

• Aedes aegypti

Wolbachia‐basedStrategies

• Population Replacement• Release of Wolbachia infected females

• Goal: NOT intended as a pesticide; no reduction of the Ae. aegypti population

• Goal: infect local populations of mosquitoes with Wolbachia, which is intended to interfere with virus transmission

• Wolbachia Suppression

• Release of Wolbachia infected males

• Goal: reduce mosquito densities with sterile male releases (similar to insecticides)

• Aedes albopictus

• Aedes aegypti

Self‐sustainingInterference: Fitness Costs

Zika? other viruses?Potential virus selection

Not self‐sustaining(unless achieve elimination)

Successful examples of SIT

Wolbachia does not negatively effect male fitness

3/21/2016

6

http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/biopesticides

Regulatory Consideration – Wolbachia Microbial Pesticide

Lexington, KY

3/21/2016

7

Los Angeles, 

CA

Fire Island, NY

Lexington, KY

3/21/2016

8

Auto-Dissemination by Autocidal Males (ADAM)

Hormone Treatment

• Effects conspecifics in the same breeding sites• Interspecific and Intraspecific effect

Clovis, CA

Lexington, KY

Aedes albopictus

Aedes aegypti

3/21/2016

9

Lexington, Kentucky

Robert ‘Bob’ Rose, PhD

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development