How scientists are fighting dengue fever with the help of a common bacterium called Wolbachia. There is no vaccine against dengue, but infecting mosquitoes with a natural bacterium called Wolbachia blocks the insects’ ability to pass the disease to humans. The microbe spreads among both male and female mosquitoes: Infected females lay eggs that harbor the bacteria, and when Wolbachia-free females mate with infected males, their eggs simply do not hatch. Researchers are now releasing Wolbachia-infected females into the wild in Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil. Read the full article here: How a Tiny Bacterium Called Wolbachia Could Defeat Dengue.

Project: Infographic illustration and layout.
Client: Scientific American