Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes to fight disease
Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes to fight disease
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Jones, WND, 2021.
A biotechnology company will soon release genetically modified mosquitoes in certain areas of the Florida Keys in order to combat infectious diseases spread by the parasitic insects.The findings could lead to a new method for combating the spread of diseases such as the Zika virus and dengue fever, according to experts. Both diseases are commonly attributed to mosquito bites in humans.Fox News reported that a strain of mosquitoes developed by a United Kingdom-based company called Oxitec — partnered with the Keys’ Mosquito Control District — will soon be released into a select number of neighborhoods in Florida. The aim of the experimental program is to control the population of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which make life insufferable for many residents of the Keys.
