bacteria

The programme director of impact assessment, Professor Cameron Simmons, said wolbachia was a naturally occurring bacteria and once transmitted to the aedes aegyptimosquito it stopped them getting the infections and spreading them among humans.

He said the not-for-profit agency had already proven the use of wolbachia is successful in far northern Queensland and he is confident it will eliminate the dengue threat in the Pacific.

It warns that if someone contracts gonorrhoea, it is now much harder to treat, and in some cases impossible.

The sexually transmitted infection is rapidly developing resistance to antibiotics.

Experts said the situation was "fairly grim" with few new drugs on the horizon.

About 78 million people pick up the STI each year and it can cause infertility.

The World Health Organization analysed data from 77 countries which showed gonorrhoea's resistance to antibiotics was widespread.