by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Childrens Health Defense:
Locally acquired malaria has been nonexistent in the U.S. for the last 20 years. But five such cases have recently been diagnosed — four in Florida and one in Texas — the only two states that have released genetically engineered mosquitoes.
Story at a glance:
- Genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes created by biotechnology company Oxitec have been released in the U.S. in Florida and Texas.
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- In March 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted Oxitec a two-year extension of its experimental use permit, or EUP, which would allow the biotech company to release additional GE mosquitoes in Florida as well as in four counties in California for the first time.
- While the EPA extended Oxitec’s EUP both the Florida Department of Agriculture and California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) must approve Oxitec’s testing in order for it to move forward in their states.
- Following pushback from legislators, California’s DPR announced Oxitec voluntarily withdrew its research authorization application to test its GE mosquitoes in California.
- Locally acquired malaria has been nonexistent in the U.S. for the last 20 years, but five such cases have recently been diagnosed — four in Florida and one in Texas.
GE mosquitoes created by biotechnology company Oxitec have been released in the U.S., even though the long-term effects could be disastrous.
Oxitec is using Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) mosquitoes for this real-world experiment, the species known to carry yellow fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile and Mayaro, a dengue-like disease.
Oxitec genetically engineered the males to carry a “genetic kill switch,” such that when they mate with wild female mosquitoes, their offspring inherits the lethal gene and cannot survive or reproduce in the wild.
In the U.S., Oxitec is marketing the insects as Oxitec Friendly mosquitoes, trying to put a non-threatening name on a reckless project that could quickly backfire.
It may even be too late, as the GE mosquitoes have already been released in multiple locations.
EPA extended Oxitec’s experimental use permit
In April 2020, the EPA approved an initial EUP, allowing Oxitec to release its GE mosquitoes on 6,240 acres of Monroe County, Florida and 360 acres of Harris County, Texas.
By April 2021, Oxitec had released nearly 5 million A. aegypti mosquitoes in the Florida Keys over a seven-month period, against the wishes of many residents and environmental groups.
In March 2022, the EPA granted Oxitec a two-year extension of its EUP, which would allow the biotech company to release additional GE mosquitoes in Florida as well as in four counties in California for the first time.
With the extension, GE mosquitoes may be released on 29,400 acres in Stanislaus, Fresno, Tulare and San Bernardino counties in California, through April 30, 2024, “to generate efficacy data in different climatic zones.”
Harris County, Texas, is no longer an approved release site for the GE mosquitoes.
The EPA’s extension to Oxitec’s EUP paved the way for up to 2.45 billion GE mosquitoes to be released — an extension that was granted even before Oxitec had publicly released results from its 2021 field trial release in Florida.
The Gates Foundation is heavily invested in the GMO (genetically modified organism) mosquito project, investing more than $30 million in Oxitec. Most of it — more than $20 million — is aimed at U.S. regions.
Oxitec withdrew permit for California GE mosquito experiment
While the EPA extended Oxitec’s EUP, both the Florida Department of Agriculture and California’s DPR must approve Oxitec’s testing in order for it to move forward in their states.
In November 2022, members of the California legislature sent a letter to DPR, “urging denial” of the permit to release GE mosquitoes.
The letter states, in part:
“We believe that DPR should deny this research authorization permit because we have serious concerns about the safety, environmental effects and the ability to manage and contain genetically engineered mosquitoes. Significant scientific research is still needed to understand the potential public health and environmental concerns associated with the release of this novel insect prior to any approval.
“We believe that the U.S. EPA review process was incomplete and that it is premature for the state of California to consider the Oxitec application without more diligent federal review. There are many issues not addressed by U.S. EPA’s review and there is insufficient data for the public to comment on the proposal or know its consequences. …
“The release of genetically engineered mosquitoes in California could be an experiment that, due to genetic spread, never ends and creates many unintended consequences. There are other more proven and less risky methods to control mosquitoes.”
In May, California’s DPR announced Oxitec voluntarily withdrew its research authorization application to test its GE mosquitoes in California, adding “DPR did not issue a decision on the application.”
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