Most efforts to tackle mosquitoes focus on keeping their numbers down. Google, however, is exploring a different approach that involves releasing millions of them into the environment. According to a Yahoo report, the company has approached US federal regulators for permission to release up to 32 million mosquitoes in parts of California and Florida. The proposed programme is aimed at reducing the number of insects that spread diseases rather than increasing their presence.
The plan would not be carried out all at once. Instead, the mosquito releases would take place over a period of two years, allowing researchers to study the results and make changes if required. The selected locations are expected to be areas that have recorded higher levels of disease transmission.
The insects involved in the project have reportedly been treated in a way that prevents them from carrying diseases. The idea is to interfere with their breeding cycle and reduce the chances of disease transmission over time.
By lowering the population of mosquitoes capable of spreading harmful pathogens, the project hopes to limit the risk posed by mosquito-borne illnesses.
Before any releases can begin, however, Google must secure approval from federal authorities. Regulators are expected to review safety data, environmental studies and monitoring plans before deciding whether the potential public-health benefits justify the programme.
If the proposal is approved, the company will monitor the impact of the mosquito releases over the next two years and use the findings to guide future decisions.
The development comes as scientists continue to study mosquito behaviour and disease control methods. One recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology suggested that mosquitoes can learn to associate the smell of a commonly used insect repellent with a food source. Researchers found that repeated exposure appeared to change the insects' response to the smell.
"This study shows that it's not the chemistry of the molecule itself that is toxic" to the mosquito, instead they are repelled by how they "interpret this chemical information," lead study author Claudio Lazzari told AFP.
Since Google's proposal is currently under review, it now remains to be seen whether regulators will approve the release or not, given how unusual this attempt is to use mosquitoes as part of the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
