Scientists in Florida say they have found a way to use the insects to help protect people from deadly disease.
Mosquitoes are often looked at as unwelcome part of subtropical living, but scientists in Florida say they have found a way to use the insects to help protect people from deadly disease.
The Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division is releasing millions of mosquitoes infected with a bacteria that will curb the insect’s population.
The lab-bred males are infected with Wolbachia, bacteria officials said is not harmful to humans.
The bacteria will prevent any mosquitoes produced when the non-biting males mate with wild females from surviving to adulthood, authorities said.
“Those matings when they take place, none of the progeny survive," Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Director William Petrie told WPLG-TV.
Preventing the offspring from surviving will help drive down the population of mosquitoes that can spread Zika, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, authorities said.
Scientists expect to have released two-thirds of a billion male mosquitoes by July.
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