GM mosquito trials to control dengue, chikungunya launched
Outdoor caged trials to
demonstrate the efficiency of genetically modified mosquitoes to suppress wild
female Aedes aegypti mosquito populations that transmit dengue, chikungunya
and Zika were launched on January 23 in Dawalwadi, Badnapur, in Maharashtra’s
Jalna district.
Details:
- Based on the results of the trials, which use the
Release of Insects carrying Dominant Lethal genes (RIDL) technology, and
permission from Indian regulatory authorities, Gangabishan Bhikulal
Investment and Trading Limited (GBIT) and Oxitec, plan to conduct open
field trials in the country.
- Laboratory-based studies have already been carried
out in India since 2012 by GBIT and Oxitec and these studies have
demonstrated the compatibility of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Self-limiting approach:
Oxitec’s technology uses
genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry a dominant lethal
gene. When male GM mosquitoes mate with wild female mosquitoes the lethal gene
is passed on to offspring. The lethal gene in the offspring kills the larvae
before they reach adulthood, the technology is a “self-limiting approach”.
- Since male mosquitoes do not bite humans, the release of GM males will not increase the risk of dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
