Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by
Plasmodium parasites transmitted by the infectious bite of
Anopheles mosquitoes. Vector control of malaria has predominantly focused on targeting the adult mosquito through insecticides and bed nets. However, current vector control methods are often not sustainable for long periods so alternative methods are needed. A novel biocontrol approach for mosquito-borne diseases has recently been proposed, it uses maternally inherited endosymbiotic
Wolbachia bacteria transinfected into mosquitoes in order to interfere with pathogen transmission. Transinfected
Wolbachia strains in
Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes, the primary vector of dengue fever, directly inhibit pathogen replication, including
Plasmodium gallinaceum
, and also affect mosquito reproduction to allow
Wolbachia to spread through mosquito populations. In addition, transient
Wolbachia infections in
Anopheles gambiae
significantly reduce
Plasmodium levels. Here we review the prospects of using a
Wolbachia-based approach to reduce human malaria transmission through transinfection of
Anopheles mosquitoes.
