China Deploys Cannibal Mosquitoes to Battle Chikungunya Surge

Scientists battling China’s largest chikungunya epidemic are releasing swarms of giant cannibal mosquitoes whose larvae devour the smaller insects spreading the debilitating disease.

These so-called “elephant mosquitoes,” measuring nearly 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in length, are voracious predators. Public health experts hope these unusual allies will become unlikely heroes in stopping the painful, fast-moving virus in the southern province of Guangdong.