21 Dec 2018

Fiji dengue fight goes aerial

From , 5:03 am on 21 December 2018

The fight against dengue in the Pacific has gone aerial with the first trial using a drone to release bacteria-carrying mosquitoes in Fiji.

A remote-controlled helicopter was used to drop the mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria in the capital as part of trials to protect the communities from dengue, zika and chikungunya.

The project is being piloted by the World Mosquito Programme and international not-for-profit company WeRobotics.

Fiji project co-ordinator Aminiasi Tavui tells Christine Rovoi that the trial, in its early stages, has the potential to release mosquitoes with Wolbachia across many dengue-affected areas.

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Photo: 123RF