Washington DC releases sterile mosquitoes to fight West Nile virus

dailystar.co.uk

Washington DC is releasing 600,000 sterile male mosquitoes to combat a severe West Nile virus outbreak. These mosquitoes carry Wolbachia bacteria, which makes any eggs laid by females they mate with unviable, thus controlling the mosquito population. This initiative addresses a surge in West Nile virus cases across the US. The sterile mosquitoes target the invasive Asian Tiger mosquito, a vector for West Nile and other diseases. This method has proven effective internationally.


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