Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million mosquitoes that have been genetically altered to reduce local inhabitants.
The purpose is to decrease the amount of mosquitoes that carry diseases such as dengue or the Zika virus.
The green-lighting of a pilot job after years of disagreement drew a swift outcry from environmental groups, who cautioned unintended consequences.
One group condemned the program as a public"Jurassic Park experiment".
Activists warn of possible damage to ecosystems, and the potential creation of hybridvehicle, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.
But the firm involved says that there will not be any adverse risk to people or the environment, and factors into a record of government-backed studies.
Can it be incorrect to eliminate mosquitoes?
Is the world prepared for GM creatures?
The plan to launch the mosquitoes in 2021 in the Florida Keys, a string of islands, comes months following the altered mosquitoes were accepted by federal regulators.
In May, the US Environmental Agency granted consent to the British-based, US-operated firm Oxitec to produce the genetically engineered, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are referred to as OX5034.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known to spread deadly diseases to humans for example dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. So the plan is to release the male, modified mosquitoes who will then ideally breed with wild female mosquitoes.
Nevertheless the men carry a protein which will kill off any female offspring till they reach mature biting age. Males, which merely feed on nectar, will survive and pass on the genes.
As time passes, the aim is to lessen the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the area and thereby reduce the spread of disease to humans.
On Tuesday, officials at the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) gave final approval to release 750 million of those altered mosquitoes over a two-year interval.
The plan contains many critics, including nearly 240,000 individuals who signed a petition on Change.org slamming Oxitec's strategy to utilize US states"as a testing ground for all these mutant bugs".
Based on Oxitec's website, the company has found positive results running field trials in Brazil. Additionally, it intends to set up them in Texas beginning in 2021 and has obtained national approval, but not local or state consent, according to reports.
But an Oxitec scientist told AP news agency:"We have released more than a billion of our mosquitoes through recent years. There is no possibility of danger to the environment or humans".
The Aedes aegypti is more invasive to southern Florida, and are commonly found in metropolitan areas where they reside in standing pools of water. In most areas, including the Florida Keys, they have developed a resistance to pesticides.
The purpose is to decrease the amount of mosquitoes that carry diseases such as dengue or the Zika virus.
The green-lighting of a pilot job after years of disagreement drew a swift outcry from environmental groups, who cautioned unintended consequences.
One group condemned the program as a public"Jurassic Park experiment".
Activists warn of possible damage to ecosystems, and the potential creation of hybridvehicle, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.
But the firm involved says that there will not be any adverse risk to people or the environment, and factors into a record of government-backed studies.
Can it be incorrect to eliminate mosquitoes?
Is the world prepared for GM creatures?
The plan to launch the mosquitoes in 2021 in the Florida Keys, a string of islands, comes months following the altered mosquitoes were accepted by federal regulators.
In May, the US Environmental Agency granted consent to the British-based, US-operated firm Oxitec to produce the genetically engineered, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are referred to as OX5034.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known to spread deadly diseases to humans for example dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. So the plan is to release the male, modified mosquitoes who will then ideally breed with wild female mosquitoes.
Nevertheless the men carry a protein which will kill off any female offspring till they reach mature biting age. Males, which merely feed on nectar, will survive and pass on the genes.
As time passes, the aim is to lessen the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the area and thereby reduce the spread of disease to humans.
On Tuesday, officials at the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) gave final approval to release 750 million of those altered mosquitoes over a two-year interval.
The plan contains many critics, including nearly 240,000 individuals who signed a petition on Change.org slamming Oxitec's strategy to utilize US states"as a testing ground for all these mutant bugs".
Based on Oxitec's website, the company has found positive results running field trials in Brazil. Additionally, it intends to set up them in Texas beginning in 2021 and has obtained national approval, but not local or state consent, according to reports.
But an Oxitec scientist told AP news agency:"We have released more than a billion of our mosquitoes through recent years. There is no possibility of danger to the environment or humans".
The Aedes aegypti is more invasive to southern Florida, and are commonly found in metropolitan areas where they reside in standing pools of water. In most areas, including the Florida Keys, they have developed a resistance to pesticides.