Google reportedly is seeking permission from federal regulators to release up to 32 million ‘specially treated’ mosquitoes in California and Florida over the next two years as part of an effort to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
The proposal, which is part of Google’s “Debug” initiative, is currently under review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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It is accepting public comments until June 5.
Google planning to release millions of mosquitoes into California to help stop diseases https://t.co/CYV4S5DpYI pic.twitter.com/YCkkm6bKPo
— New York Post (@nypost) May 30, 2026
More from the New York Post:
Regulators have not announced where any mosquito releases would occur if the plan is approved.
Researchers say the latest proposal targets Culex mosquitoes, a species known for transmitting West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus remains the
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