Mosquitos are best known as pests causing itch-inducing bites and spread harmful diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus. But, they still are with purpose as many of them help pollinate plants and serve a vital role as a food source to fish, birds, and other animals in the food chain above them.
However, mosquitos, for the most part, are a huge problem for humans. So much that researches are conducted to ensure they can no longer harm any person. The Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved a new and controversial field test aimed at reducing their population.
The plan is to release genetically modified male mosquitos that over time will lead to lesser regular mosquitos in the population.
How will it work?
The scientists from Oxitec, a UK-based company specializing in genetically engineered insects, have genetically engineered male mosquitos that will mate with regular female mosquitos which genes get passed down to their offspring.
The gene essentially guarantees that all female offspring that result from the mating process will die. This is an important strategy in controlling the insect's population to prevent the spread of diseases caused by them, as females are the ones who bite.
Male mosquitos, on the other hand, do not pose any threat to humans. So even though a swarm of genetically modified male mosquitos are released, they should have no real effect on people other than the mild annoyance of them buzzing.
Early tests are set to go forward later this year in Monroe County, Florida, and additional tests have been approved for Harris county and city of Houston in Texas.
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Which mosquitos will it target?
The field test will target species of mosquitos that are known to spread dangerous diseases such as Zika virus and dengue fever to humans.
According to a study by the World Health Organization published in 2012, as many as four billion people across the globe are at risk of contracting dengue fever, which causes flu-like illness and may result in death for some. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that in the US alone, about 40 million people per year contract dengue fever, and 22,000 Americans die from the disease.
On the other hand, Zika virus often presents no symptoms on people who contract it, but Zika can cause severe complications during pregnancy which leads to congenital disabilities. Additionally, it can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a rare sickness that causes the immune system to damage nerve cells, leading to weakened muscles and paralysis. There are around 40,000 cases in the US, and its territories are infected with Zika virus each year.
It is estimated that because of climate change, the disease will become more prevalent over time. As global warming continues, conditions will become more hospitable for mosquitos to reproduce. With many of the mosquitos carrying serious infections, experts projected that as much as half of the world's population would be at risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases.
Concerns on releasing genetically modified mosquitos
Since this test is very controversial, experts are addressing concerns on the unintended consequences of releasing genetically altered insects into the wild. Oxitec ran the same experiments in the US and Brazil and claimed to achieve a 95% reduction in the mosquito population. But other studies found a lesser success rate than Oxitec claims.
Some researchers are now looking at the side effects of the release of the genetically modified mosquitos in Brazil found that the experiment results in a hybrid species that could reproduce. It is still unclear though if they might affect humans or animals. The EPA and Oxitec assure the public that there should be no impact on other species.
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