From RT.com….
A plan to release thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to combat disease in the Florida Keys has triggered dire concerns among locals, some saying the “criminal” experiment will turn them into guinea pigs.
Spearheaded by the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec, a British biotech firm that’s received backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the project aims to turn the first swarms of gene-edited bugs loose into the Keys starting sometime this week, the two bodies announced in a joint statement.
.@FlKeysMosquito and #Oxitec announce site participation, anticipated launch of #AedesAegypti #mosquito project 🦟🌴🌞#EcoFriendly #PestControl #PublicHealth #Sustainability
Advisory: https://t.co/0rCt8uKs2b
Learn more: https://t.co/HT1pQSIDXP pic.twitter.com/xGpjWcO29S— Oxitec Ltd (@Oxitec) April 23, 2021
For the first leg of the plan, set to be expanded later, mosquito boxes will be placed at six locations, which over 12 weeks will release around 144,000 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species most closely linked with transmitting illnesses such as dengue, Zika and yellow fever. If all goes according to plan, the male, non-biting bugs will mate with local biting females, whose female offspring are programmed to die off, helping to control the Aedes aegypti population and reduce the spread of disease.
