Managing the Threat:

A Case Study in Wolbachia-Mediated Vector Control

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Introduction

This case study invites students to step into a real-world public health challenge: responding to a local surge of invasive mosquitoes and evaluating strategies to protect community health. Students will consider diverse stakeholder perspectives as they explore vector-borne diseases, ecological trade-offs, and the science behind Wolbachia-based mosquito control. The activity is designed to support discussion, decision-making, and systems-level thinking—skills central to modern STEM and public health education.

Case Study

Over the past two months, reports have confirmed an alarming surge of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes—invasive species known to transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika, West Nile, and chikungunya—throughout your community. A young child has just been hospitalized with high fever and severe joint pain, symptoms consistent with dengue fever. Her case, along with several other suspected locally acquired cases, has the entire city on high alert. Concerned parents are demanding that the city use chemical insecticides to eliminate the invasive mosquitoes. In response, your community is assembling a rapid-response team of scientists, healthcare workers, and citizens to evaluate strategies for mosquito control. Among the proposed interventions are two innovative Wolbachia-based approaches: population replacement and population suppression.

Task

Working in an assigned role, each group will:

Assess the risk of mosquito-borne disease in the community.
Evaluate potential interventions, including traditional methods like insecticides and breeding-site elimination vs. Wolbachia-based approaches.
Develop and creatively communicate a recommendation for the community, balancing scientific evidence, ethical concerns, ecological impact, costs, and public opinion.

Roles

Physician

Veterinarian

Entomologist

Beekeeper

Cautious Community Member

Chamber of Commerce Representative

Deliverable

Each group will present an informed recommendation for how the community should respond to the mosquito threat. Proposals should be:

Backed by scientific evidence and incorporate the perspectives of the assigned role, showing how health, environmental, economic, and social concerns were balanced in the decision.
Creative and convincing in its presentation; 3-5 minutes in length.