Debug Fresno, the mosquito reduction project, will entail releasing 1 million sterile, non-biting, male mosquitoes each week for 20 weeks. The goal is to cut the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the vector that transmits Zika, yellow fever and dengue fever viruses.
The addition of 20 million sterile male mosquitoes into Fresno County is expected to cut the population of disease carrying mosquitos by causing embryo fatality or low hatch rates. The male mosquito will be bred to contain the bacterium Wolbachia, which causes the lower hatch rates. The bacterium also helps lower the chance the mosquito carries diseases such as Zika.
The project is being launched by research company Verily Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Alphabet.
More articles on population health:
House subcommittees pass 2 bills affecting global health funding: 5 things to know
Are dating apps linked to a resurgence in syphilis? 4 thoughts
CDC report: More than 100M Americans have diabetes, prediabetes
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit