RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Bacteria found in fruit flies can stop mosquitoes from transmitting the virus causing dengue fever and could help control it worldwide, U.S. researchers say.

North Carolina State University biologist Alun Lloyd, part of the Eliminate Dengue research consortium that includes scientists from Australia and the United States, says introducing a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia -- which is not harmful to humans -- into an existing wild mosquito population can help stop the spread of the disease.


The researchers infected female mosquitoes with Wolbachia and found it seemed to block the transmission of dengue virus, and that the bacteria strain was able to spread to almost the entire test population of mosquitoes in just a few generations, an NC State release reported Wednesday.

"When mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia are introduced into the environment, they mate with wild mosquitoes, and pass Wolbachia to their offspring until all Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have Wolbachia," Lloyd said.

"If mosquitoes don't become infected with dengue, they cannot transmit the virus to people."

"This is a simple, non-chemical, non-harmful way to reduce the threat of dengue to humans," Lloyd said. "It could have a transformative effect on the health of literally millions of people worldwide."

The research has been published in the journal Nature.