Americans will release 2 billion genetically modified mosquitoes
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and California to combat mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus. A total of 2.4 billion mosquitoes will be released — more than 2 billion in California and just under 400 million in Florida — in two separate periods between 2022 and 2024.
The program was developed by the British biotech company Oxitec and approved by the US Environmental Agency (EPA). Oxitec mosquitoes are designed to combat the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, whose appearance in 2020, 75 years later, was again recorded in Florida. And in 2013, it was first discovered in California.
This species is known for being particularly aggressive when it comes to human bites, and can easily adapt to urban areas, which significantly increases the likelihood of these mosquitoes spreading dangerous diseases compared to their other blood-sucking cousins.
Oxitec plans to release genetically modified male mosquitoes in two states that do not bite, and by mating with females of invasive species, will create offspring that will never reach maturity, according to the company's website. At the same time, as Oxitec assures, they will not harm "useful insects" such as bees and butterflies.
The Oxitec program is a continuation of an EPA-approved pilot project to combat invasive mosquitoes conducted in the Florida Keys archipelago last year. He caused a fair share of discontent: critics have expressed concern about the potential negative consequences of using genetic engineering to control insects.