Portugal's ADN party is demanding explanations over the release of 90,000 mosquitoes in Alvalade, in Lisbon, according to SAPO. The releases are part of a public health experiment that involves freeing male mosquitoes in order to reduce the species' population over the long term, CNN Brasil reports.
Coverage of the project has varied. ZAP Notícias describes an experimental project releasing 30,000 mosquitoes in Lisbon to curb reproduction of the species, while nit.pt reports that more than 30,000 mosquitoes will be released in the city for health reasons. Página UM reports that the launch of 90,000 Asian tiger mosquitoes in Lisbon by INSA, the national health institute, was carried out outside the law.
The material available does not include a response from INSA or from the authorities behind the experiment to the ADN party's request or to the legality claim. It also does not specify the exact dates of the releases or the location within Alvalade beyond the area name.
The technique of releasing male mosquitoes is presented in the reporting as a way to reduce the population over time, rather than to add to it. Male mosquitoes do not bite, though the source material does not state this directly.
What to watch next: whether INSA or Portuguese health authorities respond to the ADN party's demand and to the claim that the release was conducted outside the law.
