Releasing genetically modified mosquitoes can wipe out disease?

Mosquitoes are not only pests. They spread diseases. These diseases can be range from feeling like a bout with the common flu to even death. The diseases mosquitoes spread include Malaria, Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus various strains of encephalitis and more. In the U.S., we have mosquitoes that carry and spread almost all of these in different parts of the country. The best protection is prevention. Preventing mosquito bites is the best way to say safe from the diseases mosquitoes carry. You can prevent mosquitoes from entering an area such as when you have your yard misted to keep mosquitoes at bay. But, often times you can’t prevent the number of mosquitoes around you. This is especially true when going on vacations especially in warmer climates.

But, even vacation area now might have a line of defense against mosquitoes. A company in Oxford England develops genetically modified mosquitoes that are free from disease. These mosquitoes are delivered to the U.S. and then released in controlled areas very carefully by knowledgeable local agencies. By releasing a large number of disease free mosquitoes for mating, the offspring will not have enough potency of the various diseases to infect their subjects. This company released such mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands and eradicated over 80% of the mosquito population. Another controlled release is being considered, debated, and argued currently in the Florida Keys.

If you have the ability to control your own environment with a barrier treatment that keeps mosquitoes and ticks out of your yard, that’s your best bet. Mosquito Squad’s barrier treatment protects your yard all summer. The safe and effective product is misted at 2- or 3-week intervals throughout mosquito season keeping most mosquitoes out of your yard. It keeps ticks out also.

But, when you can’t control your environment, the advent of weird science might be there to help.