Florida´s against the ZIKA Virus and the Dengue
With the advancement of the Zika virus in our continent, The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has decided to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. The control district has decided to battle against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can carry diseases like the Zika virus and dengue fever and pass them on to humans. they plan to release 750 million mosquitoes to mate with the local to mate with local A. aegypti. Here's the explanation:
The biotech company Oxitec, which designed the modified pests, did so by introducing a "lethal gene" into male A. aegypti mosquitoes. In theory, the modified males should mate with female mosquitoes and pass the lethal gene on to female offspring, causing the offspring to die before reaching maturity because they cannot properly build an essential protein. This same genetic change does not affect male survival, so the Oxitec mosquitoes survive to mate with females. The female mosquitoes bite humans, as they need the blood to produce and mature their eggs, while male mosquitoes only drink nectar and therefore don't infect people with deadly diseases
This method has caused quite the scandal in the Florida community because the Oxitec company is linked with the creation of genetically enhance mosquitoes that are resistant to insecticides in Brazil. Many scientist believe this may disrupt the ecosystem balance.
Do you think this is ethical?, would you live in chile if they decided to release millions of potentially harmful mosquitoes?
After investigating this a bit i can say that this is neither good nor bad for the environment. The mosquitoes are supposed to have a dominant gene which makes it that they cannot spread Zika or even Denge. So after a few generations, most of the mosquitoes wont be able to transmit it. This only benefits us and If authorities were to release said mosquitoes in chile, i would be okay with it
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