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Monday, November 15, 2010

Cayman Islands : GM mosquitoes released to fight dengue in Cayman Isles

Via Deccan Herald :

" Scientists have released three million genetically-modified (GM) mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands to fight dengue fever.

Batches of the male mosquitoes were released in a 40-acre area, from May to October, to mate with wild female counterparts of the same species, so they wouldn't be able to produce any offspring. Only female mosquitoes bite humans and spread the disease.By August, mosquito numbers in that region dropped by 80 percent compared with a neighbouring area where no sterile male mosquitoes were released, the Daily Mail reported.

"This test in the Cayman Islands could be a big step forward," said Andrew Read, professor of biology and entomology at Pennsylvania State University."Anything that could selectively remove insects transmitting really nasty diseases would be very helpful," he said, according to the journal PLoS Biology."

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