The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted the biotech company Oxitec the release of billions of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and California with a mission to combat mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus.
Studies carried out in the light of combating mosquito-borne diseases have been carried out on 2.4 billion mosquitoes since 2021. The 2.4 billion mosquitoes released at the end of the study are thought to contribute to curbing various mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever between 2022 and 2024.
Andrea Leal, Executive Director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Area, said in a statement, “Our primary mission is to protect Florida residents from all mosquitoes, including the disease-transmitting Aedes aegypti. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control Area is environmentally friendly and targeted to protect our residents. “The vehicles remain committed to research and wildlife conservation.”
While it is thought that in theory, the transmission of disease from offspring to humans will be stopped when genetically modified and released male mosquitoes mate with female mosquitoes in nature and carry out protein transfer, while the results of the study are eagerly awaited.
Referred to as the Jurassic Park Experiment
Giving the green light to the project met with fierce reactions from environmental groups. One group described the project as the “Jurrasic Park experiment.”
Environmentalists warn that the new genetically modified mosquito species could harm the ecosystem and lead to the emergence of new hybrid species resistant to pesticides.
However, the company conducting the experiment says the project is free of risks to humans and the environment, and cite some government-sponsored studies as a basis for this.
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