By SHAYLEE DENHAM
Staff Writer
In August, Florida officials approved the release of genetically engineered mosquitoes to be released in Florida Keys. The 750 million mosquitoes to be released are set to go out sometime in 2021. The news of this experiment has brought about many questions, and several concerns, however; Florida officials have been responding with key details of their plan.
Why are genetically engineered mosquitoes being released in Florida Keys?
The reason the company Oxitec has created these mosquitoes, which is named OX5034, is to reduce wild mosquito populations. By reducing the population they hope to decrease the number of mosquitoes that carry deadly viruses, such as Zika.
How do they work?
Only female mosquitoes are able to bite humans, and the plan is to have the genetically engineered mosquitoes to reproduce with the wild population. The OX5034 mosquitos are all male, and carry a protein that causes all female offspring to die before they reach their larva stage, which they predict will cause drastic decrease in virus spread.
What is the public’s response?
Some activists have concerns covering the possible damage of ecosystems. A petition has also been created to stop the experiment from taking place, it has over 250,000 signiters.