EU studying feasibility of running its version of Singapore’s Project Wolbachia to fight dengue

The European Union is exploring the potential of implementing a version of Singapore's Project Wolbachia to combat dengue fever in the continent. Project Wolbachia, launched in 2016, has successfully reduced the Aedes mosquito population in Singapore by 80% to 90%, while also lowering the risk of dengue by over 70%. EU officials, including the director-general of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, Florika Fink-Hooijer, visited a mosquito production facility in Ang Mo Kio to assess the feasibility of adopting a similar approach in Europe.

However, the report notes that the adoption of Project Wolbachia in the EU is unlikely to be a simple transplant due to differences in environmental conditions, mosquito species, and regulatory issues. The primary mosquito vector for dengue in Europe is the Tiger mosquito, which differs from the indoor-loving Aedes aegypti mosquito prevalent in Singapore.

This would necessitate changes in the release and tracking of male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. The rise in dengue cases in temperate regions, such as North America and Europe, due to climate change is a significant concern. Between 2015 and 2024, dengue cases in the EU increased by 300%. While dengue was initially confined to southern European countries, it has now spread to regions like Belgium, and locally transmitted cases have been reported in France.

The EU's response authority is monitoring the emergence of other mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya and West Nile virus, which have already been reported in at least 12 European countries. Fink-Hooijer cautioned that if vector-borne diseases are not addressed promptly, they could become endemic in Europe, making eradication extremely challenging.