GE Mosquitoes to Control Diseases in Cayman Islands and Florida

The Cayman Islands Government intensified their efforts to protect inhabitants from mosquito-borne diseases by releasing genetically engineered mosquitoes.

The operation started in mosquito hotspot West Bay and was conducted by Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) and Oxitec. The GE mosquitoes known as Friendly™ Aedes are developed by Oxitec. They contain a gene that kills the young insects at the larval stage to prevent the spread of Dengue Fever, Zika, Chikungunya, and Yellow Fever. GM male mosquitoes mate with wild female mosquitoes and will produce unviable larvae that die before adulthood.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the final finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and final environmental assessment (EA) on Oxitec's self-limiting OX513A mosquito for an investigational trial in the Florida Keys. According to the findings, a field trial of the GE mosquitoes in Key Haven, Florida, will not lead to a significant impact on the environment.

For more details, read the press release about the Cayman Island release and the US FDA findings.