Google Is Releasing 20 Million Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes in Fresno

Verily, the life sciences arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, will release about 1 million mosquitoes a week over a 20-week period in two 300-acre neighborhoods in Fresno as a means of exterminating the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is prevalent in the area. Verily's mosquitoes, all male, are infected with a type of bacteria (Wolbachia) that makes females' eggs unable to produce offspring. You see, the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito is prevalent in the area. Earlier this year, a woman contracted the first confirmed case of Zika in Fresno through sexual contact with a partner who had been traveling. Now there's the fear of the inevitable mosquito-meets-patient if we don't do something about it. Verily's plan, called the Debug Project, hopes to now wipe out this potential Zika-carrying mosquito population to prevent further infections.