US Company Releases 600,000 Male Mosquitoes in New Effort to Control Disease-Carrying Species
Wararka Soomaaliya
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of specially treated male mosquitoes are being released into residential neighborhoods in the Washington area as part of an innovative effort to reduce populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes without relying heavily on chemical pesticides.
A US mosquito-control company plans to release approximately 600,000 male mosquitoes across the region by the end of the summer, targeting the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, scientifically known as Aedes albopictus.
The released mosquitoes are males, meaning they do not bite humans. They carry a naturally occurring bacterium known as Wolbachia, which scientists have used as a biological tool to disrupt mosquito reproduction.
Faahfaahinta
When the treated males mate with wild female Asian tiger mosquitoes, the resulting eggs fail to hatch, helping to reduce the mosquito population over time.
Targeting an Invasive Mosquito Species
The program specifically targets Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito because of its distinctive black-and-white markings.
Saamaynta
The species is considered invasive in the United States and is capable of transmitting several serious diseases, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
Unlike conventional mosquito-control methods that may involve widespread pesticide spraying, the Wolbachia approach is designed to target a particular mosquito species.
Supporters say this could provide a more environmentally focused way of controlling mosquito populations while reducing the use of chemicals around homes, gardens, pets and waterways.
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