The spread of Wolbachia by putting a bucket of Aedes Aegypti’s eggs with wolbachia to seven districts in Yogyakarta – Kricak, Bener, Tegalrejo, Wirobrajan, Karangwangu, Pakuncen, and Patangpuluhan – have been implemented since August, 2016. It has been set 1734 buckets out of 7300 buckets as planned. “The spread will continue until the end of 2017. and we will monitor its growth until 2019,” said dr. Shelley L. Tahija, the wife of dr. Sjakon G. Tahija the head of Tahija Foundation in the Tahija Foundation board meeting in Tahija Foundation Jogja on April, 7th. The Tahija Foundation is a philantrophy foundation that funding the research on Eliminate Dengue Project (EDP) Yogyakarta.
dr. Sjakon Tahija further explained that this mentoring is to prove that this is the most effective way to tackle the problem of dengue fever in Indonesia. The crucial thing is to make sure that this method is relatively safe to use and does not give any side effects. In addition, it needs to ensure that the mosquitoes with Wolbachia can mate with mosquitoes causing dengue and breed. So that the mosquito population will Wolbachia-ed mosquitoes which are safe and will not transmit dengue. “This research takes time because it needs many laboratory tests to be done. Just same as a medicine, before we distribute it to the society, it needs some researchs about how safe the medicine is.”
A recent study course has a great risk for failure. But in this case, Tahija Foundation remains committed to fund the program until later in 2019. The risks of this research because of the impact of Wolbachia bacteria are still not common for the people of Indonesia. Its existence is already there in some insects in Indonesia. Although, this research has proved successful in Australia precisely in Ketz, Queensland. However, there are genetic differences Indonesia by the Australian people that could have an impact on different responses to this Wolbachia mosquitoes air. When asked if there was concern in Dr. Sjakon about it, with firm Dr. Sjakon replied “Actually, Wolbachia bacteria already exist in the mosquito Aedes Albopictus that has existed since the first in Indonesia. This is slightly different mosquito Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that do not transmit dengue. So it should, air-Wolbachia mosquitoes will not be harmful to the people of Indonesia, “.
Furthermore, the benefits of this research is the effective cost of funds required for less. If fogging require more funding because it must be done continuously to tackle dengue. Meanwhile, the way the air-Wolbachia mosquitoes need only be done once deployment and awaiting the results while monitoring the air-Wolbachia mosquitoes from breeding. In addition, the Chemical fogging approach, while the air-Wolbacia mosquito uses Biology so that more natural approach. “My hope is that this will become one of the world discovery included in international journals and can overcome the problems of dengue fever in Indonesia,” added Dr. Sjakon.
Earlier in 2011 the Foundation Tahija full funding research Yogyakarta Eliminate Dengue Project (EDP-Yogya) Eliminate Dengue collaborated with the Global Program (EDP-Global), a non-profit organization that conducts research Wolbachia technology in Australia, Vietnam, Colombia and Brazil. Dr. Sjakon Tahija also took the Faculty of Medicine, University of Gadjah Mada, Prof. dr. Adi Utarini, MSc., MPH., PhD as principal investigator EDP-Yogya. In January 2014 has been done pelepasasn Wolbachia in December 2014 in Sleman and Bantul. July 2015, which contained Wolbachia mosquitoes from Bantul and Sleman sent to the lab at Monash University for the study of vector competence. The results showed that these mosquitoes effectively block the replication of dengue virus. Air-phase release of Wolbachia mosquitoes do in the city of Yogyakarta in 2016. (Mega / Reporter)
