Why Google wants to release millions of mosquitoes in the US
Key takeaways
- Google's Debug research program plans to release millions of sterile mosquitoes to fight species that spread diseases like dengue.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Einm Small but dangerous: Mosquitoes transmit diseases like dengue and yellow fever Image: Pong Moji/IMAGOAdvertisement What's the best way to combat disease-spreading mosquitoes?
- Trying to reduce the mosquito population by adding millions more sounds counter-intuitive at first.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Google's Debug research program plans to release millions of sterile mosquitoes to fight species that spread diseases like dengue. How does the method work — and should humans interfere with nature like this?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Einm Small but dangerous: Mosquitoes transmit diseases like dengue and yellow fever Image: Pong Moji/IMAGOAdvertisement What's the best way to combat disease-spreading mosquitoes? More mosquitoes! At least that's the plan of scientists at Google's Debug program. The researchers want to release 16 million mosquitoes each in the US states of Florida and California in a first step. And then they want to do it all again next year.
Trying to reduce the mosquito population by adding millions more sounds counter-intuitive at first. But to understand the project, you have to look at what kind of mosquitoes the researchers are fighting — and what kind they're looking to release.