Florida to Release Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Against Local Residents’ Wishes
Florida to Release Millions of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Against Local Residents’ Wishes
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. Rice, People, 2020.
A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys has received final approval. According to CNN, on Tuesday, local authorities approved a plan to release the genetically modified mosquitoes in the Sunshine State’s string of islands, with the hope of preventing a string of diseases that the insects can carry. Approved by the Environment Protection Agency in May, the project is “designed to test if a genetically modified mosquito is a viable alternative to spraying insecticides to control the Aedes aegypti,” a type of mosquito that shows resistance to pesticides and is said to spread dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and other diseases.
