Local authorities on Tuesday gave final approval to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys over a two-year period, beginning in 2021, with the hope of preventing diseases such as the Zika virus, but have been exposed to blowback and compared to a Steven Spielberg thriller.
The Monroe County Mosquito Control District signed off on the proposal that already won state and federal approval. It will be the first time that genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the US
The plan is not universally accepted and has been backed by residents and environmental advocacy groups.
“With all the pressing crises facing our nation and the state of Florida – the Covid-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change – the administration has used tax dollars and government funds for an experiment at Jurassic Park,” said Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety in a statement released Wednesday.
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“Now the Monroe County Mosquito Control District has given the final approval. What could possibly go wrong? We do not know, because EPA has unjustifiably refused to seriously analyze environmental risks, now without further evaluation of the risks continue the experiment, “he continued.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District considered the plan a way to curb the breeding of Aedes aegypti, a type of mosquito that is said to spread dengue, Zika, and other diseases – while showing resistance to pesticides. The project had received approval from the EPA in May to release the mosquitoes made by the British company Oxitec.
The genetically modified male mosquito, named OX5034, was modified with a special gene that hinders the survival of its female offspring when it mates with wild female mosquitoes. The men feed on nectar and are not carriers of diseases. Only the female mosquito bites for blood, which she does before maturing her eggs.
As the new males grow, they mate with more females, which would decrease the number of Aedes aegypti.
The mosquitoes have already been released by Oxitec for trails in Brazil. Studies by the company and scientists have suggested that the program resulted in significant population declines before injecting with disease and was a cost-effective alternative to potentially harmful pesticides.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen in Oxitec laboratory in Campinas, Brazil
(Copyright Reuters 2016)
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“We have shown that the release of mosquitoes in a neighborhood results in 95 percent suppression compared to areas with no release,” said Nathan Rose, director of regulatory affairs at Oxitec, according to UPI.
However, community members and environmental groups criticized the potential impact of mosquitoes on humans and animals. She added how there was “lack of data showing that Oxitec mosquitoes will be safe and effective”
“The release of genetically engineered mosquitoes will inevitably bring Floridians, the environment, and endangered species to mind in the midst of a pandemic,” said Dana Perls, food and technology program manager at Friends of the Earth. “This approval is about maximizing Oxitec’s profits, not about the urgent need to tackle mosquito-borne diseases.”
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The US project is designed to further test the effectiveness of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and to see if they are a viable option for pesticides. A similar project was approved in Harris County, Texas, beginning in 2021, the company said.
