Florida Will Release 750 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Stop Disease Spread
Florida Will Release 750 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Stop Disease Spread
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Population suppression, Self limiting, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. Fahmy, verywell health, 2020.
In an effort to fight the spread of viral mosquito-borne illnesses, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners has approved the release of 750 million genetically modified (GMO) mosquitoes starting in 2021. The five-member board made their decision on August 18. This will be the first public trial of GMO mosquitoes in the U.S.
The mosquitoes, developed by the British biotechnology group Oxitec, belong to the Aedes aegypti species—the same invasive species known to spread viral illnesses such as Zika and Dengue fever. By creating genetically modified males to mate with non-genetically modified females, scientists plan to breed offspring that die quickly.
The hope is to prevent the spread of Dengue fever, a painful virus acquired only by mosquito bite which made a reappearance in the Florida Keys in 2009. Twenty-two cases were reported that year, despite the last case being reported in 1934. According to the Florida Department of Health, a small number of people now become infected in the state each year.
