California Tests Mosquito Release Strategy to Reduce Dengue Amid Warming Climate

Scientists in Southern California are releasing hundreds of thousands of Wolbachia-infected male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to suppress the local population, since these males do not bite and can mate with wild females to produce nonviable eggs. The approach aims to reduce disease risk (dengue) as warmer, longer seasons expand mosquito habitats, with success measured by declines in biting female mosquitoes. The effort mirrors EPA-approved Wolbachia Use and similar programs worldwide, highlighting how climate change is intensifying the need for innovative vector control.