Up to 1 billion genetically engineered mosquitoes will be released in the Florida Keys over a period of two years, in an attempt to cut down on the numbers of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the state.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for diseases like dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. British biotech company Oxitec will release them beginning in spring 2021. Many Floridians, however, aren’t taking the release sitting down.
They’ve filed a petition with the U.S. EPA, calling the release of the transgenic mosquitoes an “act of terrorism” to which Florida residents do not consent.
The Oxitec mosquitoes are all male and when they mate, they pass on a protein that is supposed to ensure that female offspring do not survive. However, “a panel of independent experts testified to the Florida Keys mosquito board that GE mosquitoes could also pose significant threats to sensitive ecosystems and human populations in the Florida Keys,” Daily Mail reported.
SOURCE: Daily Mail April 27, 2021