FIGHTING ZIKA WITHOUT PESTICIDES COULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
Mosquitoes genetically engineered to produce nonviable offspring and then die could eradicate mosquito populations – and the diseases they spread. The downside? Apparently none.
A recent article in the journal Nature says that there are more positives than negatives to the ecosystem from eradicating mosquitoes.
The upside to controlling mosquitoes this way is that it doesn’t require any toxic pesticides, and it is even more effective.
But an article in today’s Wall Street Journal describes how in the US the FDA has jurisdiction over the Oxitech mosquito. To approve the use of the mosquito that is engineered to produce non-viable offspring and then die, the FDA needs to show that the genetic engineering is safe for the mosquito – like a flea collar being safe for a dog.
So in the meantime we have toxic pesticides for mosquito control.