Male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes do not bite or transmit disease.

Is Wolbachia harmful to humans?

Wolbachia are naturally occurring bacteria found in 60% of all insect species. Wolbachia is safe for humans, animals and the environment.

What does Wolbachia do to mosquitoes?

The bacterium Wolbachia pipientis blocks the insects' ability to spread fearsome viruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Since 2011, researchers have been injecting Wolbachia into the eggs of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and releasing the hatched insects, which spread this protection to their offspring.