Field Pilots of Self-Limiting Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes

Oxitec’s Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi solution provides a safe, targeted, environmentally sustainable solution for controlling the population. Oxitec is developing a Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi, powered by the same Friendly™ technology that has been proven to offer highly effective suppression of the dengue fever-spreading mosquito, Aedes aegypti.  Oxitec Friendly™ males carry a self-limiting gene that, when passed on, prevents their offspring from surviving to adulthood. With regular releases of Friendly™ males, the number of offspring, specifically dangerous female mosquitoes (male mosquitoes do not bite) – is reduced, resulting in a reduction in the pest insect population. Friendly™ males, and offspring carrying the self-limiting gene, can be tracked through the linked marker gene. To apply Oxitec’s Friendly™ technology against malaria-spreading mosquitoes, a dedicated, multinational team of experts at Oxitec has spent nearly four years conducting early development of a Friendly™ mosquito solution to combat Anopheles stephensi. The project team is now planning for the next phase of the program: pilot validation of the Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi. The Djibouti Friendly™ mosquito program will work with local communities in Djibouti to conduct field pilots of the Friendly™ Anopheles stephensi in Djiboutian locations and, in parallel, Oxitec will advance the development of innovative Friendly™ mosquito production, distribution and deployment methods to be tested in pilot locations, to deliver a Friendly™ solution that is scalable and accessible to communities in malaria-endemic regions.

Oxitec Project page

Vector Control

Mar 2022 — Mar 2025

$18.32M

Djibouti

Anopheles stephensi