Los Angeles released 20,000 male mosquitoes to kill Aedes

Los Angeles authorities are using radiation to sterilize male mosquitoes to kill the mosquito population that spreads infectious diseases .

In Los Angeles, a new weapon is being added to the war on mosquitoes: sterilization of male mosquitoes , according to NBC . The Greater Los Angeles Pest Control Agency on May 2 conducted a pilot program to release tens of thousands of laboratory-raised mosquitoes into the local environment. All of these mosquitoes were male and were sterilized by radiation. Authorities hope they will find a mate in the wild and impregnate female mosquitoes with useless sperm, rendering the eggs useless.

Sterilizing male mosquitoes will cause the eggs they lay to become useless. (Photo: Los Angeles Times).

The experts' target is the Aedes aegypti mosquito . They began breeding in Los Angeles in 2014 and have evolved to target humans. "Thousands of years ago, a strain of midges got closer to humans, started living around houses and biting people ," said Daniel Hahn, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wormology at the University of Florida. "They are ferocious annoying biting insects because they will sting you all day long."

Aedes thrive in gardens and nest in small containers such as bottle caps and dog food bowls. They can carry infectious diseases such as yellow fever, Chikungunya, Zika and dengue fever, according to Susanne Kluh, general director of GLACVCD.

GLACVCD on May 2 released about 20,000 sterilized male mosquitoes, dyed to fluoresce under ultraviolet lights, as part of the final test of the pilot program. Male midges do not bite humans, so experts say the program is virtually risk-free for humans. Next month, GLACVCD plans to release 7 to 10 sterilized mosquitoes for each wild male mosquito living in the target area of ​​the Sunland - Tujunga area of ​​Los Angeles. The number can increase to 60,000 mosquitoes per week.

The measure is an example of how humans are deploying new technology to deal with the spread of invasive mosquitoes and the diseases they carry in the face of climate change, global trade and urbanization. push pests into new territories. Aedes are not native to the United States but have existed in some areas for hundreds of years.

In recent years, researchers have warned that higher temperatures due to climate change will expand the living range of mosquitoes. That's happening in Southern California. The state recorded its first two cases of dengue fever last year, meaning local mosquitoes are transmitting the virus that causes the disease. Southern California also recorded urban and peri-urban development, contributing to the expansion of habitat for Aedes.

The sterilized male mosquitoes were raised in a laboratory in Kentucky, but developed from eggs collected in the Los Angeles area. Every week, GLACVCD plans to incubate mosquitoes in small boxes, then irradiate them with radiation from a specialized machine. After release, the irradiated mosquitoes only flew about 150 meters, according to Kluh.

The radiation affects the chromosomes in mosquito cells, preventing them from reproducing but still allowing the individuals to fly and perform many other biological functions at almost normal levels. Kluh said mosquitoes are not radioactive and do not pose a risk to the public. However, he admitted expanding the program around Los Angeles County remains a challenge.