Malaysia Releases 6,000 Genetically Modified Mosquitoes into the Wild
Over the protests of environmental groups and NGOs, Malaysia has released 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild, hoping to drive down incidents of mosquito-borne dengue fever. It's the first experiment of its kind in Asia, but naturally everyone isn't thrilled with the idea of releasing altered DNA into the ecosystem. Dengue fever is a particularly nasty bug found in tropical and subtropical climes like Malaysia's, causing nausea, muscle and joint pain, fever, headaches, rashes, and sometimes death if left untreated (in Malaysia it killed 134 people last year). The experimental mosquitoes, all male, were engineered to produce offspring that quickly die in hopes that shortening life spans will thin the population of Aedes species (dengue fever is carried by females). Related ArticlesWhat Could Possibly Go Wrong: Genetically-Modified MosquitoesFor The First Time, Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Are Released Into The WildGenetically Engineered Mosquitoes Are 100 Percent Resistant to Malaria ParasiteTagsScience, Clay Dillow,...