Googles disease control plan with a twist: Release millions of mosquitoes across California, Florida
(Source: Pexels)Google has sought permission from US government to release up to 32 million sterilised mosquitoes across California and Florida as part of efforts to curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and West Nile virus. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing a request from Google’s mosquito-control initiative, ‘Debug’, to release up to 16 million mosquitoes annually over a two-year period. A final decision is expected after a public consultation period that runs until June 5.The project relies on a scientific technique that uses male mosquitoes infected with a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia. Because male mosquitoes do not bite humans or transmit diseases, they are released into the wild to mate with female mosquitoes. The bacterial infection prevents viable offspring from being produced, causing mosquito populations to decline over successive generations. What is Google’s ‘Debug’ programme? Debug, which was developed under Google’s parent firm Alphabet’s life sciences and technology ventures, focuses on the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is species responsible for transmitting dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya. The programme combines biotechnology with advanced automation, data analytics and artificial intelligence to rear, sort and release millions of male mosquitoes effectively.
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