State regulators in Florida have approved a plan to release 750million genetically modified mosquitoes they hope could lessen the spread of disease. The mosquitoes will be released across Monroe County in southern Florida, an area that includes the Florida Keys, later this summer. The plan has been contentious, with some environmental advocacy groups arguing the EPA hasn't adequately researched the potential consequences of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. 'People here in Florida do not consent to the genetically engineered mosquitoes or to being human experiments,' Barry Wray of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition said. If the mosquitoes prove effective, Oxitec hopes they can be used in regions with high prevalence of mosquito-born diseases like Dengue fever and Zika virus.

Source: Daily Mail June 18, 2020 20:19 UTC