These are genetically modified organisms, known as the OX5034, and they were made in a laboratory in London. Under a two-year Experimental Use Permit approved by the EPA, the British biotech firm Oxitec has been green-lit to release over 1 billion genetically modified mosquitoes across 6,600 acres in Florida and Texas. The pilot project focusing on the lower Florida Keys where the plan is to release 144,000 non-biting male mosquitoes from six different locations—making this the first time ever that a genetically engineered mosquito will be let out into an open ecosystem in the United States. The purpose is to target and eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can carry dengue fever, Zika virus, and yellow fever, diseases that have been relatively common, and deadly, in Florida.
