Impact of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti on dengue incidence in endemic regions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Trans R Soc Trop Med HygSep 2, 2026
Husni Mubarak Zainal, Ricardo Soares Guimarães, Abdullah Al Owesie et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti on dengue incidence in endemic regions. Analyzing data from nine studies involving over 8 million individuals, the findings indicated a significant reduction in dengue incidence, with a pooled incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.15, reflecting an estimated 85% reduction in cases.
Key findings
- Wolbachia deployment was associated with a pooled IRR of 0.15, indicating an 85% reduction in dengue incidence.
- Full-area deployments showed greater effectiveness with an IRR of 0.046 compared to partial-area deployments with an IRR of 0.22.
- Exploratory individual-level analyses yielded a pooled OR of 0.29, though with substantial heterogeneity.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that deploying Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes could be a highly effective strategy for reducing dengue transmission in endemic areas, potentially transforming vector control efforts.