Fact check: Genetically modified mosquitoes are cleared for release in the US

The Environmental Protection Agency approved an experimental use permit May 1 that allows Oxitec to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys and Harris County, Texas, where Houston is located.

“To meet today’s public health challenges head-on, the nation needs to facilitate innovation and advance the science around new tools and approaches to better protect the health of all Americans,” according to the EPA’s news release.

The permit, which lasts for two years, requires Oxitec to “monitor and sample the mosquito population weekly.”

“EPA has also maintained the right to cancel the (permit) at any point during the 24-month period if unforeseen outcomes occur,” according to the release.

Wait. Why would a company create a new kind of mosquito? What purpose does it serve?

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