NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW: USE OF WOLBACHIA IN THE CONTROL OF AEDES AEGYPTI
Abstract
Arboviruses represent a major threat to global health, especially in tropical and subtropical climates, where environmental conditions favor mosquito proliferation. Among the main urban vectors, Aedes aegypti stands out due to its high vector competence for dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow Fever viruses. The persistence of these diseases is associated with the vector's adaptation to the domestic environment and the difficulty of sustainably controlling its populations. Although traditional vector control programs seek to suppress populations of immature and adult forms, such strategies have operational and biological limitations. In this context, the use of Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium. The mechanisms associated with the reduction of viral transmission are considered multifactorial and include competition for intracellular resources, modulation of the mosquito's innate immune response, and alterations in the cellular environment that hinder arbovirus replication. Objective: To analyze the scientific evidence available in the literature regarding the use of Wolbachia bacteria as a control strategy for the Aedes aegypti mosquito and associated arboviruses. Methodology: This is a qualitative study, a narrative literature review, with a descriptive and analytical character. The literature review was based on scientific data published in PubMed and SciELO. Considerations: The use of Wolbachia proves to be a safe, innovative and effective strategy in the control of arboviruses, with potential for incorporation into public health policies.
Author Biographies
Student, Afya Faculdade de Medicina de Itajubá, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Student, Afya Faculdade de Medicina de Itajubá, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Physician, Professor, Afya Faculdade de Medicina de Itajubá, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
References
ABDI, A. A. et al. Systematic review of Aedes aegypti control trials suggests publication bias related to author disclosure of conflicts of interest. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 20, n. 1, e0013914, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013914
ABBASI, E. Aedes aegypti and dengue: insights into transmission dynamics and viral lifecycle. Epidemiology and Infection, v. 153, e88, 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268825100320
BARNETT, E. D. Febre amarela: epidemiologia e prevenção. Clinical Infectious Diseases, v. 44, p. 850–856, 2007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/511869
BOWMAN, L. R.; DONEGAN, S.; MCCALL, P. J. O controle do vetor da dengue é deficiente em eficácia ou em evidências?: revisão sistemática e meta-análise. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 10, n. 3, e0004551, 2016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004551
COLLINS, M. H. et al. EVITA Dengue: a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy de Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Trials, v. 23, n. 1, 185, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-05997-4
FOX, T. et al. Wolbachia-carrying Aedes mosquitoes for preventing dengue infection. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, n. 4, CD015636, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD015636.pub2
FRASER, J. E. et al. Novel Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes possess diverse fitness and vector competence phenotypes. PLoS Pathogens, v. 13, n. 12, e1006751, 2017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006751
HAGUE, M. T. J. et al. Comparative analysis of Wolbachia maternal transmission and localization in host ovaries. Communications Biology, v. 7, n. 1, 727, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06431-y
HAUG, C. J.; KIENY, M. P.; MURGUE, B. Perspectiva: o desafio do Zika. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 374, p. 1801–1803, 2016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1603734
HILGENBOECKER, K. et al. How many species are infected with Wolbachia? A statistical analysis of current data. FEMS Microbiology Letters, v. 281, n. 2, p. 215–220, 2008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01110.x
KITTAYAPONG, P. et al. Comparison on the quality of sterile Aedes aegypti mosquitoes produced by radiation-based or Wolbachia-induced techniques. PLoS One, v. 20, n. 2, e0314683, 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314683
LAU, M. J. et al. Impacts of low temperatures on Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti. Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 57, n. 5, p. 1567–1574, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa074
LIM, J. T. et al. Assessing Wolbachia-mediated sterility for dengue control: emulation of a cluster-randomized target trial in Singapore. Journal of Travel Medicine, v. 31, n. 7, taae103, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taae103
NOVELO, M. et al. The effects of DENV serotype competition and co-infection on viral kinetics in Wolbachia-infected and uninfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Parasites & Vectors, v. 14, n. 1, 314, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-04816-0
ONG, J. et al. Assessing the efficacy of male Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments to reduce dengue incidence in Singapore. Trials, v. 23, n. 1, 1023, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06976-5
PETERSEN, L. R. et al. Vírus Zika. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 374, p. 1552–1563, 2016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1602113
PINTO, S. B. et al. Effectiveness of Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments in reducing dengue incidence em Niterói, Brasil: estudo quase-experimental. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 15, n. 7, e0009556, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009556
REYES, J. I. L. et al. Intracellular interactions between arboviruses and Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, v. 11, 690087, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.690087
ROUSSET, F. et al. Wolbachia endosymbionts responsible for alterations of sexuality in arthropods. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, v. 250, n. 1328, p. 91–98, 1992 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1992.0135
SCHMIDT, T. L. et al. Local introduction and heterogeneous spatial spread of dengue-suppressing Wolbachia. PLoS Biology, v. 15, n. 5, e2001894, 2017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2001894
UTARINI, A. et al. Efficacy of Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments for dengue control. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 384, n. 23, p. 2177–2186, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2030243
WEAVER, S. C.; LECUIT, M. Vírus Chikungunya e disseminação global. New England Journal of Medicine, v. 372, p. 1231–1239, 2015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1406035
WEEKS, A. R.; BREEUWER, J. A. J. Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis in mites. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, v. 268, n. 1482, p. 2245–2251, 2001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1797
XUE, L.; FANG, X.; HYMAN, J. M. Comparing effectiveness of different Wolbachia strains. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 12, n. 7, e0006666, 2018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006666
License
Copyright (c) 2026 RECIMA21 - Revista Científica Multidisciplinar - ISSN 2675-6218
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Os direitos autorais dos artigos/resenhas/TCCs publicados pertecem à revista RECIMA21, e seguem o padrão Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), permitindo a cópia ou reprodução, desde que cite a fonte e respeite os direitos dos autores e contenham menção aos mesmos nos créditos. Toda e qualquer obra publicada na revista, seu conteúdo é de responsabilidade dos autores, cabendo a RECIMA21 apenas ser o veículo de divulgação, seguindo os padrões nacionais e internacionais de publicação.