SINGAPORE: Male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will be released at four more locations in Singapore as part of a project to combat dengue.
It will see Project Wolbachia expand to Balestier-Whampoa, Geylang, Moulmein-Dorset and Pasir Ris from end-January to March 2026, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary said in a social media post on Friday (Jan 9).
This will bring the project coverage to 740,000 households, Dr Puthucheary said, adding that the government is on track to reach 800,000 households - half of Singapore's homes by 2026. The figure was first announced by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu in November 2024.
The release of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes at the Balestier-Whampoa and Moulmein-Dorset sites will begin from Jan 27, on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
At the Geylang site, it will start from Jan 28, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
The release schedule for Pasir Ris is yet to be confirmed.
In November 2025, it was announced that the project was expanding to sites covering Marsiling and more areas in Woodlands, Kaki Bukit–Kembangan and Bedok.
Since the start of Project Wolbachia in 2016, Singapore has been progressively releasing Wolbachia mosquitoes across the country.
Under Project Wolbachia, male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are released to mate with the female Aedes mosquitoes. The eggs that are produced do not hatch.
Male mosquitoes do not bite and cannot transmit diseases, as they feed only on plant juices, such as nectar.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the Aedes mosquito population at project sites have reduced by 80 to 90 per cent, and the risk of getting dengue has lowered by more than 70 per cent.
In its factsheet released on Friday, the agency said that in 2023 and 2024, community vigilance and innovations like Project Wolbachia have helped Singapore avoid major dengue surges.
NEA also mentioned in its factsheet that studies have shown that the impact of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquito releases extends beyond the immediate release zones.
"Residents in adjacent areas were found to be 45 per cent less likely to contract dengue compared to non-Project Wolbachia sites."
NEA said that Wolbachia-Aedes suppression technology represents a powerful tool in the fight against dengue, but it is designed to work alongside and not replace proven source reduction efforts.
"Diminished community efforts to reduce mosquito breeding may negate the effect of the releases, and can lead to an increase in dengue cases."
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It will see Project Wolbachia expand to Balestier-Whampoa, Geylang, Moulmein-Dorset and Pasir Ris from end-January to March 2026, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary said in a social media post on Friday (Jan 9).
This will bring the project coverage to 740,000 households, Dr Puthucheary said, adding that the government is on track to reach 800,000 households - half of Singapore's homes by 2026. The figure was first announced by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu in November 2024.
The release of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes at the Balestier-Whampoa and Moulmein-Dorset sites will begin from Jan 27, on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
At the Geylang site, it will start from Jan 28, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
The release schedule for Pasir Ris is yet to be confirmed.
In November 2025, it was announced that the project was expanding to sites covering Marsiling and more areas in Woodlands, Kaki Bukit–Kembangan and Bedok.
Since the start of Project Wolbachia in 2016, Singapore has been progressively releasing Wolbachia mosquitoes across the country.
Under Project Wolbachia, male Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are released to mate with the female Aedes mosquitoes. The eggs that are produced do not hatch.
Male mosquitoes do not bite and cannot transmit diseases, as they feed only on plant juices, such as nectar.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the Aedes mosquito population at project sites have reduced by 80 to 90 per cent, and the risk of getting dengue has lowered by more than 70 per cent.
In its factsheet released on Friday, the agency said that in 2023 and 2024, community vigilance and innovations like Project Wolbachia have helped Singapore avoid major dengue surges.
NEA also mentioned in its factsheet that studies have shown that the impact of Wolbachia-Aedes mosquito releases extends beyond the immediate release zones.
"Residents in adjacent areas were found to be 45 per cent less likely to contract dengue compared to non-Project Wolbachia sites."
NEA said that Wolbachia-Aedes suppression technology represents a powerful tool in the fight against dengue, but it is designed to work alongside and not replace proven source reduction efforts.
"Diminished community efforts to reduce mosquito breeding may negate the effect of the releases, and can lead to an increase in dengue cases."
Continue reading...