Forbes September 2, 2025
Imagine pricing a product that spreads on its own and benefits people who never even touch it. That might sound like science fiction, but it’s remarkably similar to the story of health data and, strangely enough, to a bacteria called Wolbachia.
Wolbachia is an insect-borne bacterium that, when introduced into mosquito populations, prevents the transmission of diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. What’s remarkable is that once a few mosquitoes are infected, the bacteria spread on their own through reproduction, benefiting entire ecosystems without the need for continual intervention. The Wolbachia program is often cited as a real-world example of positive externalities: situations where a decision benefits people who didn’t make the decision or pay for the intervention.
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