Google seeks EPA nod to release 32 million sterilised mosquitoes in US
By Aboki Forex —
Google has asked U.S. regulators for permission to release up to 32 million sterilised mosquitoes in parts of California and Florida. The tech giant wants to use the insects to fight mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
The proposal is now before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If approved, Google would release 16 million mosquitoes each year for two years. The public comment period ends on June 5.
The plan is part of Google's 'Debug' initiative. It uses a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia. Male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia cannot breed with wild females. The eggs never hatch, so the mosquito population drops over time.
Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest animal. They spread diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. Health researchers are looking for new ways to control them because many mosquitoes are now resistant to chemical insecticides.
The project focuses on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which carry dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya. Google uses automated breeding systems, sensors and artificial intelligence to mass-produce and sort the mosquitoes. It releases only males, which do not bite humans.
Google says computer vision helps it tell males from females. The company argues that traditional chemical methods are failing and may harm ecosystems.
The Debug program has already been tested in Singapore. There, sustained releases of Wolbachia mosquitoes cut disease-carrying insect populations by 70% and reduced dengue cases by 80-90%, according to project data.
The EPA will review the plan for ecological impact, long-term effects and public acceptance of releasing modified organisms into the open environment. If approved, it would mark a major step for technology-driven disease control.