EPA Approves Additional Use of Biopesticide to Help Suppress Mosquito Populations that Spread Diseases
Released on December 6, 2023
On Dec. 5, 2023, EPA approved an amendment to expand use of the mosquito control product ZAP Males®, a biopesticide that can suppress invasive local populations of Aedes albopictus or Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, which can spread numerous diseases of significant human health concern, including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Novel, non-chemical pesticides to control mosquitoes are critical for public health, particularly in overburdened and vulnerable communities. This amendment allows use of the product in all U.S. states and territories. Previously, the product’s use had been limited to the states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ZAP Males® are live male mosquitoes that are infected with a particular strain of the Wolbachia bacterium, which are common, naturally occurring bacteria found in many insect species. Male mosquitoes do not bite people. Instead, infected males mate with females from the wild population, and the Wolbachia strain of bacteria ensures that no viable offspring are produced. Thus, this method can be used to suppress wild Aedes albopictus mosquito populations.
Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are an invasive species in the U.S. that is rapidly expanding its range. These mosquitoes can carry diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya; therefore, their control is important to public health, including in densely populated areas that often contain overburdened and vulnerable communities. Because climate change is further expected to increase the range of mosquitoes in the U.S., the use of chemical pesticides is similarly expected to increase. As Aedes albopictus mosquito breeding habitats are primarily associated with humans, urban areas are disproportionately affected by their presence. Thus, these communities could be at higher risk for exposure to Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and potentially greater risk for both disease transmission and chemical pesticide exposure from mosquito control efforts. The use of Zap Males® mosquitoes has the potential to reduce the use of chemical pesticides used in mosquito control, while simultaneously reducing populations of mosquitoes that spread disease in the first place.
The ZAP Males ® product was originally registered in 2017 and was allowed to be used in certain northern, mid-atlantic, mid-western, and western states. In the amended application, MosquitoMate, the registrant of ZAP Males®, provided additional efficacy data for southern states in different climate zones to support expansion of use to all US states and territories. EPA approved the amendment after extensive evaluation of the provided data. The expanded use is expected to result in negligible exposure to humans and have no negative impacts on non-target organisms in the environment. EPA also determined that the use of this product would not result in direct or indirect effects to federally endangered or threatened species and made a “no effect” determination for these species and their designated critical habitats.
EPA will continue to maintain the following requirements in the amended registration regarding monitoring for female Aedes albopictus ZAP-infected mosquitoes:
- Bi-annual reporting to EPA to ensure that quality control measures are adhered to, including reporting of any production batch that exceeds one female per 250,000 males, and if there is any reduction in ZAP Males® fitness and viability.
- Distribution of any batches of ZAP Males® that do not pass the approved manufacturing process quality standards must halt.
- Monthly environmental monitoring for and bi-annual reporting of results regarding ZAP-infected female mosquitoes in the environment. This requirement is expanded to include each climate zone in the U.S., thus increasing the monitoring for expanded use area.
- Mandatory reporting within 30 days to EPA if any ZAP-infected females are detected in the environment.
Additionally, the amended registration is term-limited and will expire on December 31, 2028, five years from the date of the amended registration, which will provide an opportunity for EPA to re-evaluate the use and effectiveness of this product.
Additional information on the MosquitoMate ZAP Males® registration, amendment and experiment use permit (EUP) can be located at EPA public websites: