| Title | FDA Approves Field Trial of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes | |
| Date | Friday August 19 2016, @03:29AM | |
| Author | martyb | |
| Topic | ||
| from the shooting-blanks dept. | ||
The FDA has completed the environmental review for a proposed field trial to determine whether the release of Oxitec Ltd.'s genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes (OX513A) will suppress the local Aedes aegypti mosquito population in the release area at Key Haven, Florida. After considering thousands of public comments, the FDA has published a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) that agrees with the EA's conclusion that the proposed field trial will not have significant impacts on the environment.
[The genetically engineered mosquitoes possess a] self-limiting gene that prevents the offspring from surviving. Male modified mosquitoes, which do not bite or spread disease, are released to mate with the pest females. Their offspring inherit the self-limiting gene and die before reaching adulthood—before they can reproduce or spread disease.
[Release of the OX513A mosquitoes in both Brazil and the Cayman Islands] strongly suppressed the target wild population—by 80–95%
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm490246.htm
http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0003864
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti#Genetic_modification
Previously: Genetically-Modified Mosquito Company Expands Operations
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