Fighting The Bite New Venture Tackles Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Tiny but deadly, mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other creature on Earth. Oxitec Australia is targeting two of the most dangerous species in the Pacific region—Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus—in a bold effort to combat the spread of life-threatening diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever, which claim hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year.

Oxitec Australia is a collaboration between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and UK-based Oxitec Ltd, the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests.  

The new venture leverages Oxitec's proven biological Friendly™ platform where genetically engineered male mosquitoes carry a self-limiting gene that ensures only non-biting males survive, reducing pest females and overall mosquito numbers through sustained releases. 

Professor Brett Sutton, Director of Health & Biosecurity at CSIRO, said Oxitec Australia is now seeking partners to accelerate its activities and product development in Australia. 
 
“Oxitec Australia offers a unique opportunity to help combat the growing threat of invasive and exotic pests, some of which are on mainland Australia’s doorstep like Aedes albopictus,” Professor Sutton said. 

“Factors like climate change and growing pesticide resistance will only bring greater challenges to the health of Australians and our region via vector-borne diseases. 

“By investing in new and innovative solutions that complement existing control programs, we can reduce the public health impacts of these exotic and invasive mosquito species. 

“This technology platform could also be used to develop solutions for a wide spectrum of pests that threaten livestock and crops and our food systems.” 

Subject to government and regulatory approvals, Oxitec Australia’s first solution will be a “just-add-water” product using the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti mosquito technology.  

This innovative product allows for the rapid production of Friendly™ non-biting male mosquitoes following the addition of water. 
 
Oxitec Australia is also working to address pests threatening crops, such as the fall armyworm caterpillar.

Fast facts: 

Mosquitoes 
   • Mosquitoes in the Indo-Pacific spread diseases like malaria, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis and cause over 23,000 deaths each year.  
   • Globally, dengue alone infects more than 390 million people every year and threatens billions more across the tropics.
   • Only female mosquitoes bite and are capable of transmitting viruses to humans.

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