Fighting Bugs With Bugs: Google's Plan To Reduce Mosquitoes in California and Florida

Tech giant Google is exploring a plan to release millions of sterile mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of an effort to reduce populations of disease-carrying insects.

Through its Debug program, a team of scientists and engineers is developing technologies to raise and release sterile mosquitoes designed to suppress mosquito populations that spread diseases.

The mosquitoes raised by Google carry a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which prevents them from successfully reproducing with wild female mosquitoes. Because male mosquitoes do not bite or spread disease, the company hopes the releases will reduce the population of wild mosquitoes capable of transmitting illnesses over time.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register, Google plans to release up to 64 million sterile male mosquitoes over two years in parts of California and Florida.

The company says it is also developing software and monitoring tools to guide releases of sterile males. Groups of scientists and engineers are creating sensors, traps and software to identify areas that require treatment and determine when additional releases are needed.

The project targets Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species native to Africa that has spread across nearly half of California's counties since first being detected in the state in 2013, the Los Angeles Times reported. The species can carry several serious diseases, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

If approved, the proposal would allow Google to release up to 16 million male mosquitoes annually in California and another 16 million annually in Florida over a two-year period.

According to a study published last week in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas and cited by the Los Angeles Times, about 18.2 million Californians, particularly in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, live in regions with conditions suitable for local dengue transmission.

"Under moderate scenarios of climate warming and urban expansion, an additional 4.1 million residents may be at risk by mid-century," the study said.

The Guardian reported that the first international Debug project took place in Singapore, where officials reported an 80% to 90% reduction in Aedes aegypti mosquito populations and a 70% decline in dengue cases after six to 12 months of releases.

"When we first launched Debug in Singapore, our goal was to advance mosquito production and releases through technology and bring Debug to more communities in Asia, where 70% of the global dengue burden occurs," said Linus Upson, head of Debug. "Our success in Singapore gives us the confidence to expand."