Researcher Thomas Ant presents dengue virus research at the CVR, contributing to the award of the Queens Anniversary Prize in 2021 being presented to the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.

Almost half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting dengue fever, a viral disease causing around 40,000 death per year worldwide. Dengue virus is mainly transmitted by the aggressive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is difficult to control through traditional methods.

The CVR research focused on implementing a new environmentally friendly and effective technique for dengue control. This was done by introducing a natural insect bacteria called Wolbachia into the mosquito populations. Wolbachia rapidly spread and effectively block the transmission of dengue virus. The release program in partnership with the Malaysian government reduced dengue transmission in some areas of urban Kuala-Lumpur as much as 85%.