French researchers release sterile tiger mosquitoes to curb disease spread

Scientists in France are using sterilized male Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to reduce the invasive tiger mosquito population, which transmits dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses. The effort is led by Terratis, a company founded in 2024 that currently produces about 1.5 million sterile males weekly and plans to scale up to 40 million within two years.

A pilot program started in August 2025 in Montpellier’s Malbosc district, where roughly 100 000 sterile males are released twice a week at 31 sites. In Brive‑la‑Gaillarde, 11 million sterile males were released in May 2025, resulting in about 50 % of local eggs being infertile, with a target of 90 % by late 2026. Terratis co‑founder Clélie Olivová says the aim is not eradication but a long‑term population reduction. Institute for Research and Development director Frédéric Simard warned that broader adoption faces technical, financial and regulatory hurdles, noting “if I had to compare, we are roughly at iPhone 1.0.”