2 billion genetically modified mosquitos are about to be released in the US

[Bum]

Scientists have been playing god with mosquitos for a couple of years now. Back in 2021, British company Oxitech released 750 million lab-modified mosquitos in Florida. Now, the company is gearing up to release another 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos across more of Florida and in California as well.
The new species, codenames OX5034, is made up entirely of male mosquitos. The new species is derived from the Aedes aegypti family of mosquitos. Just like others the company has released, this new 2 billion should produce female larvae that die off before they reach adulthood.

2 billion genetically modified mosquitos are about to be released in the US

I find this fascinating and not a little terrifying...

 

[Lutherf]

If this all worls out then they can release mosquitoes that are genetically designed to release a Covid vaccine and thus get everyone vaccinated whether they want to be or not.

 

[Grand Mal]

Scientists have been playing god with mosquitos for a couple of years now. Back in 2021, British company Oxitech released 750 million lab-modified mosquitos in Florida. Now, the company is gearing up to release another 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos across more of Florida and in California as well.
The new species, codenames OX5034, is made up entirely of male mosquitos. The new species is derived from the Aedes aegypti family of mosquitos. Just like others the company has released, this new 2 billion should produce female larvae that die off before they reach adulthood.

2 billion genetically modified mosquitos are about to be released in the US

I find this fascinating and not a little terrifying...

Bad idea. Nobody can see all the consequences of this.
I notice, too, that this is being done where mosquitoes are an inconvenient nuisance, Florida, and not Africa where they're the most dangerous killers.

 

[Bum]

Bad idea. Nobody can see all the consequences of this.
I notice, too, that this is being done where mosquitoes are an inconvenient nuisance, Florida, and not Africa where they're the most dangerous killers.

When I was in Rwanda, every hotel room had mosquito nets over the beds, and pregnant women received them from the health department free of charge; yet despite the intense efforts of the Rwandan Government to tackle the mosquito born disease issue, it still remains a leading cause of sickness and death.
The Government has recently begun to use drones to spray in hard to reach areas where mosquito born illness is endemic.

Rwanda strives to stamp out killer malaria using drones - AHSJI

By Aimable Twahirwa; Rwanda is using drones to spray anti-Malaria pesticides in different regions where the mosquito-borne disease prevalence remains among the highest. Living in a wetland area, Alphonsine Mukakarangwa, a female farmer from Bugesera district, is now pinning hopes on drone spray...

healthsojo-africa.org

 

[Grand Mal]

When I was in Rwanda, every hotel room had mosquito nets over the beds, and pregnant women received them from the health department free of charge; yet despite the intense efforts of the Rwandan Government to tackle the mosquito born disease issue, it still remains a leading cause of sickness and death.
The Government has recently begun to use drones to spray in hard to reach areas where mosquito born illness is endemic.

Rwanda strives to stamp out killer malaria using drones - AHSJI

By Aimable Twahirwa; Rwanda is using drones to spray anti-Malaria pesticides in different regions where the mosquito-borne disease prevalence remains among the highest. Living in a wetland area, Alphonsine Mukakarangwa, a female farmer from Bugesera district, is now pinning hopes on drone spray...

healthsojo-africa.org

I've read that the mosquito is the most dangerous animal in Africa.

 

[Luce]

If this works, eventually there won't be any more mosquitoes.

Which would be nice. There isn't an animal on Earth that relies on mosquitoes as their sole food source, and basically they exist just to cause misery.

 

[Bum]

I've read that the mosquito is the most dangerous animal in Africa.

I wasnt allowed to work in Rwanda unless I had a minimum of 120 days of Malarone , and an updated Yellow Fever vax......all that aside, its a beautiful country.

 

[Bum]

If this works, eventually there won't be any more mosquitoes.

Which would be nice. There isn't an animal on Earth that relies on mosquitoes as their sole food source, and basically they exist just to cause misery.

Nice, yes.....but I am always a bit concerned when we start tinkering with genetics.

 

[Luce]

Nice, yes.....but I am always a bit concerned when we start tinkering with genetics.

I demand it.

 

[mrjurrs]

Scientists have been playing god with mosquitos for a couple of years now. Back in 2021, British company Oxitech released 750 million lab-modified mosquitos in Florida. Now, the company is gearing up to release another 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos across more of Florida and in California as well.
The new species, codenames OX5034, is made up entirely of male mosquitos. The new species is derived from the Aedes aegypti family of mosquitos. Just like others the company has released, this new 2 billion should produce female larvae that die off before they reach adulthood.

2 billion genetically modified mosquitos are about to be released in the US

I find this fascinating and not a little terrifying...

The gene editing technology today could result in the removal of the mosquito, the deadliest animal on Earth. The unanticipated consequences of doing that could be devastating.

Imo, it's a bad idea.

 

[MamboDervish]

Scientists have been playing god with mosquitos for a couple of years now. Back in 2021, British company Oxitech released 750 million lab-modified mosquitos in Florida. Now, the company is gearing up to release another 2 billion genetically modified mosquitos across more of Florida and in California as well.
The new species, codenames OX5034, is made up entirely of male mosquitos. The new species is derived from the Aedes aegypti family of mosquitos. Just like others the company has released, this new 2 billion should produce female larvae that die off before they reach adulthood.

I find this fascinating and not a little terrifying...

It may be a noble pursuit, but as has too often been the case throughout history, we may all become convicted of violating the Law of Unintended Consequences.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

Bad idea. Nobody can see all the consequences of this.
I notice, too, that this is being done where mosquitoes are an inconvenient nuisance, Florida, and not Africa where they're the most dangerous killers.

Africans tend to be hesitant of GMOs, so I doubt they would let it happen. They wouldn't even accept Golden Rice which was GMO rice fortified with much needed nutrients that they were lacking from standard rice.

I'd have to know more about the specifics of this to be concerned, and many people will pretend this is doomsday stuff based on their ignorance of the science and conspiracy theory and science fiction exaggerating. GMO plants have been used for decades and there hasn't been a catastrophe. I guess there are risks in the wild

But as an aside, the hell with mosquitos. They are the biggest vectors of diseases worldwide. And its not only African where mosquito spread diseases are becoming a problem, particularly ith warming climate

I've read that the mosquito is the most dangerous animal in Africa.

=In the world, they spread disease everywhere

 

[Peter]

Yey, if anyone is going to end the world I'm glad it's Britain!!!!!!

We win again!!!!!!!!!

I think just before we do this we should make a giant flag and place it on orbit just so any passing aliens know who ended it all.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

The male mosquitos (only females bite) are made so that the larvae made from mating die, so theoretically they won't pass the genes on. These mosquitos live a week so not long lived in the environment

Of course, I think this was seen in another experiment where they were seeing new one with the species if there was mutation that can occur in the wild

According to peer-reviewed studies, of the more than 150 million OX513A mosquitoes released in field trials, no effects on other species have been observed, no evolution of resistance to the lethal transgene has been seen, and there has been no mating with non-target mosquitoes detected.

Error

Congressional Research Service, Congressional Reports, Congressional Reports, CRS

crsreports.congress.gov

Anyway, be careful reading people's "fears" as being factual, many news articles will upsell that to exaggerate and make a story. Best look at scientific articles or even directly at the peer review paper. This has been studied in field trials going as far back as 2010

 

[Grand Mal]

Africans tend to be hesitant of GMOs, so I doubt they would let it happen. They wouldn't even accept Golden Rice which was GMO rice fortified with much needed nutrients that they were lacking from standard rice.

I'd have to know more about the specifics of this to be concerned, and many people will pretend this is doomsday stuff based on their ignorance of the science and conspiracy theory and science fiction exaggerating. GMO plants have been used for decades and there hasn't been a catastrophe. I guess there are risks in the wild

But as an aside, the hell with mosquitos. They are the biggest vectors of diseases worldwide. And its not only African where mosquito spread diseases are becoming a problem, particularly ith warming climate



=In the world, they spread disease everywhere

My concern is it looks like an attempt to replace the native species with one that can't breed because the females die before they reach adulthood. Ecosystems are amazingly tangled and just the lack of mosquito larvae in the water might have repercussions. Dragonflies feed on mosquitoes too, and who knows what the consequences of reduced dragonfly populations might be. This kind of thing has backfired so spectacularly in the past I'm surprised It's still considered an option.
I'd rather see the efforts and resources focussed on the specific diseases, not the creatures that carry them. We got rid of bubonic plague without eliminating rats.

 

[What if...?]

Bad idea. Nobody can see all the consequences of this.
I notice, too, that this is being done where mosquitoes are an inconvenient nuisance, Florida, and not Africa where they're the most dangerous killers.

They’re working on it there too. It’s a self destructing modification. Can’t be passed on to offspring.

 

[Lursa]

Bad idea. Nobody can see all the consequences of this.
I notice, too, that this is being done where mosquitoes are an inconvenient nuisance, Florida, and not Africa where they're the most dangerous killers.

It can be monitored and tracked better in FL...it's a 'pilot' program, an experiment. If it's successful, why wouldnt it be used elsewhere?

 

[Grand Mal]

It can be monitored and tracked better in FL...it's a 'pilot' program, an experiment. If it's successful, why wouldnt it be used elsewhere?

I don't know.
It just seems like a pretty extreme measure to take against an annoyance. Might be justifiable where hundreds or thousands of human lives are involved but this sounds like the fly-shotgun cliche.

 

[Grand Mal]

They’re working on it there too. It’s a self destructing modification. Can’t be passed on to offspring.

The quick scan I did seems to say these ones can't breed because the females die off too early.

 

[Lursa]

I don't know.
It just seems like a pretty extreme measure to take against an annoyance. Might be justifiable where hundreds or thousands of human lives are involved but this sounds like the fly-shotgun cliche.

They're all males. I know that didnt work out so well in Jurassic Park (all females) but mosquitos have very short lives and in some species, the males dont even feed on blood, only the females bite. I dont know if that's the case here, their main purpose is to fill female mosquito wombs with non-viable offspring.

 

[OrphanSlug]

The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us.

 

[Bum]

The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us.

 

[Lovebug]

If this works, eventually there won't be any more mosquitoes.

Which would be nice. There isn't an animal on Earth that relies on mosquitoes as their sole food source, and basically they exist just to cause misery.

No bats

 

[Luce]

No bats

Bats eat all kinds of bugs.

 

[Lursa]

Bats eat all kinds of bugs.

Some species it's mostly mosquitos. By no means does that mean there would be enough other nocturnal flying insects. And moths are hairy for a reason...it makes them very unpalatable to many predators.