Antioch to launch mosquito reduction plan

Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District will release Wolbachia-treated male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Antioch starting July 7 to reduce the population of invasive mosquitoes that can transmit Zika, dengue, and yellow fever. The bacteria prevent females from laying viable eggs, targeting mosquitoes that have appeared for three consecutive years.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready... By Bay City News Specially treated male mosquitoes that keep their female mates from laying eggs will be released in Antioch starting next month, health officials said Friday. The strategy is an attempt to reduce the population of invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that have turned up for three consecutive years in Antioch, according to the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District. The mosquitoes are dangerous because they can transmit diseases like Zika, dengue fever and yellow fever, the district said. A pilot project beginning July 7 will release male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that have been treated with Wolbachia bacteria. The bacteria occur naturally and don’t affect humans or pets because male mosquitoes can’t bite, according to the district. The males expose females to the bacteria, which causes them to lay eggs that don’t hatch. The release of the Wolbachia-treated male mosquitoes will come “in a small area of Antioch weekly from July through October with the goal of reducing the number of wild mosquitoes over time,” the district said. “Meanwhile, if residents notice the district’s mosquito traps or an increased number of male mosquitoes in their neighborhood, know that they are there to protect you and your family,” officials said.