Scientists fear the consequences of an unexplained scientific experiment aimed at curbing the spread of mosquitoes and the diseases it transmits. The experiment was not carried out as planned, resulting in the spread of genetically modified mosquitoes. The experimenter responded to the criticism.
The story began with a scientific ambition to reduce mosquitoes by making genetic modifications to mosquitoes by adding a killer gene, in order to reduce mosquito breeding and thus reduce the diseases it transmits, but what happened was that quantities of mosquitoes carrying this gene mingled with non-genetically modified mosquitoes and began Spread out of control.
According to the scientific journal Scientific Reports, Gene's intervention was detected in 10% to 60% of the samples they analyzed for yellow fever mosquitoes in northeastern Brazil.
Scientific centers criticized the experiment and stressed that the long-term consequences associated with the spread of diseases and increased mosquito breeding can not be overlooked.
The British company "Oxytec" launched about 450 thousand male mosquitoes yellow fever, weekly between 2013 and 2015 in the town of Jacobina. Scientists have changed the genetic makeup of mosquitoes so that their offspring cannot survive, a move originally intended to reduce the reproduction of mosquitoes that transmit viruses that cause many diseases, including yellow fever and dengue.
According to some reports, the experiment has succeeded in reducing the number of mosquitoes by between 80% and 95%, but some mosquitoes survived the experiment and mixed with mosquitoes that did not undergo this genetic modification. The experiment has drawn criticism from experts who said it was conducted without adequate tests.
The exact consequences of the experiment cannot yet be accurately determined, but some scientists predict that genetically modified mosquitoes will become faster and more resistant to pesticides.
In response to the experiment, scientists in the United States that "these results illustrate the importance of a monitoring system when resorting to genetic modifications, in order to avoid unpredictable consequences," according to the magazine "Stern" German.
The company, which conducted the experiment, defended its position and said in a press statement that the authors of the study published by "Scientific Reports" used exaggerated words to spread unjustified panic, accusing the study authors of scientific neutrality and ignoring the facts.