06/01/2026
Google Plans to Release 32 Million Mosquitoes to Fight Deadly Diseases
Google-backed researchers are seeking approval to release up to 32 million specially treated male mosquitoes in California and Florida over the next two years. These lab-bred males do not bite humans and carry a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia. When they mate with wild female mosquitoes, the eggs fail to hatch, causing local mosquito populations to decline naturally.
Scientists hope this approach will help reduce the spread of diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika, dengue fever, and St. Louis encephalitis.