Genetically modified mosquitoes cut the insect’s number by 96 per cent

In a city in Brazil, male mosquitoes were released that expressed a gene that meant their female offspring, which bite and transmit infections, couldn’t survive

By Miriam Fauzia

The biotechnology firm Oxitec has launched boxes containing genetically modified male mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti

Oxitec

The release of genetically modified male mosquitoes into a city in Brazil temporarily cut the virus-carrying insects by up to 96 per cent. Although not a permanent fix, periodically releasing such mosquitoes could reduce the burden of infections including dengue, malaria and Zika.

Kevin Gorman at the biotechnology firm Oxitec in Abingdon, UK, and his colleagues are particularly looking to control dengue. Although usually mild, the infection can be fatal. Already widespread …