Oxitec LLC, a subsidiary of the Intrexon Corporation, has genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquitos — the breed that carries Zika — to help in the fight against the proliferation of mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika, according to Forbes.
With the Zika vaccine is likely years away, controlling mosquito populations is crucial in the fight against the disease. Here are four things to know about Zika, mosquito control and the potential of this biotech solution.
1. Sprays, insect repellants and screens don't seem to be enough to stop the proliferation of Zika in hard-hit countries like Brazil. The Aedes aegypti mosquito prefers to hide indoors, making it a difficult target for municipal trucks spraying chemicals in the streets. According to Forbes, Zika-carrying mosquitoes may already be building resistance to certain insecticides.
2. Oxitec's mosquito is called OX513A and is engineered with a "self-limiting gene." The genetic modification is passed through breeding and causes death in the mosquito's offspring. If enough of these modified mosquitos are released, it's hoped that they could eliminate the entire population of Zika mosquitos.
3. These genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in Brazil, Cayman Islands and Malaysia. According to Forbes, their release has been attributable to lower populations of Aedes aegypti, the principal mosquito vector of dengue viruses, with no adverse effects on people or the environment.
4. In addition to microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads, Zika has exhibited a connection to other neurologically debilitating conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, paralysis and deadly inflammation of the brain.
More articles on Zika:
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Despite Zika's rise in Florida, physicians say threat is minor
WHO: Sexual transmission of Zika virus more common than we thought