Aedes aegypti does not carry Wolbachia in nature. However, Wolbachia can be artificially transferred into this species to generate transinfected Aedes aegypti, which can be used as a tool for disease control as the artificial Wolbachia infection can induced both cytoplasmic incompatibility and virus blocking effects (Xi, et al. 2005. Science; Bian, et al 2010, PLoS Pathogens). Developed by Professor Xi, A. aegypti transinfected with Wolbachia strain wAlbB, originally from Aedes albopictus, is the first and the most stable Wolbachia infection in this mosquito species, which is currently released for population suppression in US, Singapore, Mexico and Australia. 

Sponsored by United States Agency for International Development and Mexico government, Michigan State University, Autonomous University of Yucatan and Guangzhou Wolbaki Biotech Co., Ltd. have established a mosquito factory in Merida, Mexico, in which millions of transinfected males are produced per week for population suppression of A. aegypti to combat arbovirus transmission (Martin-Park, et al. 2020. PLoS NTD; Che-Mendoza, et al. 2021. J Med Entomol). This factory is currently the largest one in Latin America. 

In a hybrid technology, Wolbahcia-infected males are released to induce sterility for population suppression, followed by seeding with Wolbachia-infected virus-resistant females to trigger population replacement. Finally, male mosquitoes carrying the 2nd Wolbachia strain are released to maintain a low mosquito population that will not support virus circulation. The number in X axis indicates time.