Evolutionary Ecology of Releases for Disease Control.

is an endosymbiotic that can suppress insect-borne diseases through decreasing host virus transmission (population replacement) or through decreasing host population density (population suppression). We contrast natural infections in insect populations with transinfections in mosquitoes to gain insights into factors potentially affecting the long-term success of releases. Natural infections can spread rapidly, whereas the slow spread of transinfections is governed by deleterious effects on host fitness and demographic factors. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) generated by is central to both population replacement and suppression programs, but CI in nature can be variable and evolve, as can fitness effects and virus blocking. spread is also influenced by environmental factors that decrease titer and reduce maternal transmission frequency. More information is needed on the interactions between and host nuclear/mitochondrial genomes, the interaction between invasion success and local ecological factors, and the long-term stability of -mediated virus blocking.