Are You Anti-GMO (mosquitos)?

Scientists have figured out how to genetically modify a mosquito so that its offspring are 95% male. The modification will make a substantial contribution to the eradication of malaria, the disease that kills more 1 million each year.[1] Yet the plan to GM the pesky bugs is already being met with protests from the anti-GMO movement.

Here’s what Twitter-verse has to say:

@AmandaMichelle says, “I want us to be rid of malaria but I can't get down with GMO mosquitos.

@Pepsibookcat replies, I can imagine them being easily weaponized..”

‏@alymig states, “Dear Monsanto. Why don't you GMO some fat sucking mosquitos?”

@OrganicConsumer states, “We have no idea what these #GMO mosquitos will do! .. Lack of Risk Assessment for GM Mosquito Experiments Is Negligent.”

Ah yes the old “fear-of-the-unknown” tactic.

Rightfully, environment and ecosystems must be considered. Dr Helen Williams, director of GeneWatch UK, a not-for-profit group that has been critical of previous GM mosquito research, warned of unintentional consequences of crashing mosquitoes’ populations. “We would want to ensure that the risks are properly considered before GM mosquitoes are released into the environment. For example, reducing the population of one mosquito species can increase the population of other mosquitoes, so you can potentially make it worse. If you change an ecosystem and remove a species, another species often moves into that niche.”

She said the decision on whether they should be used in the wild should be down to the people living in the countries where the engineered mosquitoes would be released.

Great idea Doc, let’s ask the people of the Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone or Zambia where over 20% of its population died of malaria in 2000.[2]

[1] GM mosquitoes a ‘quantum leap’ towards tackling malaria

[2] Malaria deaths country by country: how many are there?

#mosquito #gmo #nongmo #malaria