Genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in two U.S states

A plan to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in two U.S states of Florida and Texas has been approved.

According to the plan, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will be released into the wild, as they contain a special protein that would kill female offspring, which are the ones who bite, and thus preventing the spread of such illnesses as dengue fever and Zika.

The mosquitoes released will all be male, which do not bite people and as such pose no risk to humans.

Per Second News learnt that the plan approved by the U.S Environment Protection Agency this week, is a project designed to test if the genetically modified mosquito is a viable alternative to spraying insecticides to control the Aedes aegypti. It’s a species of mosquito that carries several deadly diseases, such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

A similar process was discovered by Ben Gurion University, in which certain bacteria will be activated in the stomach of Mosquitoes. This allows to kill them without the risks involved with using pesticides.

The plan is not without opposition, mostly coming from those saying that the environmental effect of such an experiment is unknown.