Currently, genetically modified (GMO) food products, specifically items such as corn, soy, wheat, etc. are under scrutiny. The GMO debate is central in the world of food, farming, and nutrition, as people voice their concerns against scientific advances in the sector of genetic modification. What many people don’t realize, is this same genetic modification is taking place in animal species.
The British company, Oxitec, has been working on genetically modified mosquitoes for years now, hoping to implement them into the habitat of places like the Florida Keys as a way to limit mosquito populations and in turn stop the spread of diseases such as Zika, dengue, and Chikungunya viruses. The particular mosquito being modified would be Aedes aegypti, the main transmitter of diseases such as Zika. Aedes aegypti are modified so that they contain a gene that kills their offspring, making it so the young mosquitoes are unable to survive to adulthood. This gene is called the ‘lethality gene.’
In tests, and if it were to be implemented, only male mosquitoes would be genetically modified. This takes away the worry that GMO mosquitoes would harm humans by transmitting mutations or diseases as only female mosquitoes bite and draw blood. One side-effect of the genetic modification is that the mosquitoes are identifiable by their fluorescent color (something that does not affect mating).
When put into effect in places like Brazil and the Cayman islands, results showed reduced mosquito population sizes, as hypothesized. Scientists predict that if implemented in a certain locality, the population of Aedes aegypti in the area would be annihilated in around 10-20 generations (each generation lasting 3-4 weeks).
If these mosquitoes had been introduced into American habitats, like the Florida Keys, sooner, could they have lowered mosquito populations to the point of stopping Zika outbreaks? It is too late to tell, but if so, those who worked against the implementation of the GMO mosquitoes have much to answer for, as reports of Zika cases in the United States are now in the hundreds, to the point where babies are being born with the birth defects attributed to the disease.
