Oxitec is applying our Friendly™ technology against the Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito now found in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions across the globe, and against Aedes albopictus, which originates in Southeast Asia but over recent decades has relentlessly spread around the world.

Unfortunately, existing methods of controlling Aedes aegypti, such as spraying or fogging using chemical insecticides, have failed to stop the spread of disease. This is partly because Aedes aegypti has developed resistance to insecticides, rendering many common chemicals ineffective at killing the mosquito.  

According to the World Health Organisation, 100-400 million people each year suffer from dengue, a debilitating and sometimes fatal disease also known as ‘break-bone fever’. Billions of people living in 127 countries live at risk of dengue infection. The Oxitec Friendly™ Aedes program provides targeted, safe and non-toxic method for the control of insect pests that spread diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever, delivering up to 96% suppression of wild Aedes aegypti populations compared to a control site in its first pilot project.

Read the full peer-reviewed paper in Frontiers in Bioengineering detailing the efficacy of Friendly™ Aedes aegypti here.