In the fight against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, public health officials in Southern California are seeing promising results from a groundbreaking strategy: releasing sterile male Aedes mosquitoes into the environment.

These males don’t bite or spread disease, but when they mate with females, no offspring are produced. In some areas, mosquito populations dropped by as much as 82%.

The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito—nicknamed the “ankle biter”—can carry dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Their growing spread, fueled by climate change, has made mosquito control more urgent than ever.

Why it matters:

• Sterile males seek out females and reduce future generations.
• No pesticides or chemicals needed.
• Safe for people, pets, and the environment.

CCMAD is monitoring this approach closely as a potential future tool for protecting our local communities. For now, residents are urged to eliminate standing water and report mosquito activity at comptoncreekmad.org.