Florida To Release 750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Reduce Diseases
Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes, which are expected to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue or the Zika virus.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, the plan, codenamed “Jurassic Park Experiment” and overseen by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, includes officials releasing millions of the modified blood-suckers into the region, which has been taken over by the Aedes aegypti, a type of mosquito species which carries yellow fever, Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and other deadly diseases.
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A similar experiment was previously seen in Brazil, where biologists released mutant lab mosquitoes to combat a Zika virus outbreak. The company behind these plans, Oxitec, boasts about its successful track record with proven field tests in the last three years in the Cayman Islands, Panama, and Malaysia as well. The company says, “We have released over a billion of our mosquitoes over the years. There is no potential for risk to the environment or humans.”
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