750 million genetically modified mosquitoes that eat nectar only

Reporter : Feng Weiwei / Publisher : China Science News

Ref : http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2020/8/444541.shtm / Direct translation

Image : According to research, there have been no reports of health or environmental damage in places where genetically modified mosquitoes have been introduced in the past decade. Courtesy of istock.com 3DFox

A plan to place genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys of the United States has been approved. In order to reduce the probability of mosquitoes transmitting diseases such as yellow fever and dengue fever, a pilot project plans to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes to the Florida Keys in 2021.

The genetically modified mosquito code-named "OX513A" is a variant of Aedes aegypti developed by the British biotech company Oxitec. The new project will release male mosquitoes, which do not bite people and usually only eat nectar. Because of a genetic mutation that is conditionally lethal, when OX513A mates with wild female mosquitoes, the female offspring die before they start biting.

In the past 10 years, Oxitec has deployed the genetically modified mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands and Brazil. This will be the first release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States. Scientists from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of Florida will oversee the project.

"It's going very well." Oxitec scientist Kevin Gorman said, "We have released more than 1 billion mosquitoes over the years. There is no potential risk to the environment or humans."

A study published in Scientific Reports in September 2019 stated that the female offspring of Oxitec’s genetically modified mosquitoes did not die in Brazil as expected. Less than a week after the study was published, a critical editorial note was added. In May of this year, the paper received a formal editorial expressing concerns about the research design and false or misleading claims.

Oxitec's plan to release mosquitoes in the Florida Keys has been in the making for several years. The company commissioned 25 studies to obtain approval from the CDC, US environmental protection agencies, and local agencies such as Florida. According to reports, the pilot project will target the Florida Keys because the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are invasive there and are increasingly resistant to pesticides that control their numbers.

"Science and technology are readily available, which is exactly what Monroe County, Florida needs." Project supporter Jill Cranny-Gage said at the mosquito control area meeting. "We are doing our best and we have no choice. "

According to reports, Oxitec has also received approval from the U.S. federal government to place genetically modified mosquitoes in Texas, but there is still a long way to go before it is approved by state and local agencies.

Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62398-w