It is hoped the factory-bred mosquitoes will be a long-term solution to the rapid spread of the disease-carrying insects

Tom Parry

Published 22 September 2026 12:25pm BST

French cities are fighting the growing threat of diseases like dengue, chikungunya and Zika in mainland Europe by releasing millions of sterile male Asian tiger mosquitoes.

Terratis, a new company in the southern city of Montpellier, is breeding infertile males on an industrial scale as a long-term solution to the rapid spread of the disease-carrying insects.

The sterile males are bred at a factory in the southern city of Montpellier and then released in urban hot zones where the mosquitoes are most prevalent.…