A British-American gene-editing company has released millions of genetically modified mosquitoes containing a dominant lethal gene, each week for 27 months in the Bahia, Brazil region in a test to see if the gene-edited mosquitoes would mate with local mosquitoes carrying Zika, malaria or other mosquito-borne diseases.
A new study documents the alarming fact that following an initial reduction of the target population of mosquitoes, after some months the “population which had been greatly suppressed rebounded to nearly pre-release levels.”
Scientists to date have no idea what dangers are presented by the new mutations.
This once more highlights the dangers of uncontrolled gene-editing of species.
Are genetically-modified mosquitoes from a Bill Gates-backed program causing a U.S. malaria outbreak?
TEXAS & FLORIDA (WTRF) — Following an outbreak of a rare strain of malaria in Texas and Florida this summer, some people are questioning if there is a link to genetically-modified mosquitoes allegedly released in the area.
The mosquitoes were allegedly part of a disease-control initiative backed by Bill Gates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that the U.S. has seen five cases of malaria spread by mosquitoes in the last two months — the first time there’s been local spread in 20 years. There were four cases detected in Florida and one in Texas.
Despite the uptick in malaria cases in the U.S., experts point to climate change and a warmer environment as likely causes, not genetically-modified mosquitoes
