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☆ Djibouti fights deadly malaria wave with GMO mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in the tiny East African country of Djibouti to combat a surge in malaria infections caused by an invasive vector. Unlike most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa that breed in rural areas, Anopheles Stephensi thrives in urban environments, intensifying the public health challenge for predominantly urban Djibouti. “This mosquito poses a huge threat to our fight against malaria,” said Grey Frandsen, CEO of US-owned biotechnology firm Oxitec, which developed the gene-modified mosquitoes released in Djibouti. ‘Using mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes’Dubbed a method that “uses mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes”, Oxitec’s genetic technology targets female mosquitoes, which are predominantly responsible for malaria transmission. Although the rollout of genetically modified mosquitoes in Djibouti is only the second in Africa, the idea is drawing more interest on the continent.

Persons: Anopheles, Stephensi, ”, Grey Frandsen, “ Anopheles, Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Oxitec, ” Abdilleh, Frandsen, Melinda Gates, “, Yoweri Museveni Organizations: CNN, WHO, Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization Locations: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Horn of Africa, Africa, “, Brazil, Burkina Faso

☆ The US eliminated malaria in 1951. How can it keep it under control now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“The risk is very low,” Dr. Peter McElroy, chief of the malaria branch in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, told CNN. In an effort to limit its impact in the southeastern US during World War II, particularly around military training bases, the US created the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas in 1942. The April 1945 edition of the Malaria Control in War Areas field bulletin. Malaria was eliminated in the United States in 1951, but modern mosquito control is mostly managed locally. Oxitec also says it’s working on applying the approach to anopheles mosquitoes for malaria control as well.

Persons: ”, Janneth Rodrigues, Rodrigues, tsuruhatensis, National Institutes of Health’s Dr, Carolina, Dr, Peter McElroy ,, haven’t, McElroy, Wade Brennan, Chandan Khanna, “, ” McElroy, Daniel Markowski, ” Markowski, They’re, Markowski, Mury, Sanjay Gupta, Aedes, Oxitec, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, GSK, Malaria, National Institutes of Health’s, of Malaria, Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s, Sarasota County Mosquito Management, of Malaria Control, CDC, American Mosquito Control Association, Public Health Service, National Library of Medicine, Getty, “, CNN Health, Google Locations: Tres Cantos, Madrid, Burkina Faso, Africa, United States, Sarasota, Sarasota , Florida, Atlanta, Sarasota County , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Florida, New Jersey

☆ Fact Check-U.S. malaria outbreak in 2023 not caused by GM mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

(This story was corrected on July 27, 2023, to clarify that genetically modified mosquitoes were not released in Texas. The modified mosquitoes, which were released only in Florida, were all male, and only female mosquitoes feed on blood, which is how they transmit the malaria parasite from person to person, a mosquito-control expert said. Moreover, Markowski noted, only female mosquitoes “blood feed,” which needs to happen to transmit diseases like malaria, and the only genetically modified mosquitoes released are males, which feed only on plant juices and therefore cannot transmit malaria (explained further here). Reuters has previously addressed misinformation about uses of genetically modified mosquitoes (here), (here) and (here). Recent cases of malaria in the U.S. could not have been caused by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes.

Persons: they’re, Aedes aegypti, Daniel Markowski, Markowski, Oxitec, Joshua Van Raalte, “ Oxitec, Read Organizations: Oxitec, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, American Mosquito Control Association Locations: Texas, Florida, Harris County , Texas, U.S, BioNTech, Florida and Texas, Saharan Africa, South Asia

☆ Fact Check-U.S. malaria outbreak in 2023 not caused by GM mosquitos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The release of genetically modified mosquitos in Florida and Texas could not have caused recent cases of malaria detected in the U.S., as suggested in social media posts. The OX5034 mosquitos developed by Oxitec were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 for pilot testing (here). Markowski noted that only female mosquitos “blood feed,” which needs to happen to transmit diseases like malaria, and the only genetically modified mosquitos being released are males, which feed only on plant juices and therefore cannot transmit malaria (explained further here). Reuters has previously addressed misinformation about uses of genetically modified mosquitos (here), (here) and (here). Recent cases of malaria in the U.S. could not have been caused by the release of genetically modified mosquitos.

Persons: they’re, mosquitos, Daniel Markowski, Markowski, Read Organizations: Oxitec, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, American Mosquito Control Association Locations: Florida, Texas, U.S, BioNTech, Florida and Texas, Saharan Africa, South Asia

☆ Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | Photographs Devin Oktar Yalkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View By David Wallace-WellsYou can never really see the future, only imagine it, then try to make sense of the new world when it arrives. (A United Nations report released this week ahead of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, confirmed that range.) A little lower is possible, with much more concerted action; a little higher, too, with slower action and bad climate luck. There were climate-change skeptics in some very conspicuous positions of global power. New emissions peaks are expected both this year and next, which means that more damage is being done to the future climate of the planet right now than at any previous point in history.

☆ Un roi gigantic de țânțari modificați genetic se pregătește să invadeze Florida; Demersul stârnește mari controverse
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-03 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +5 min

Sursa foto: APUn roi gigantic de țânțari modificați genetic se pregătește să invadeze Florida; Demersul stârnește mari controverseUn roi gigantic de țânțari modificați genetic se pregătește să invadeze Florida. În această primăvară, compania de biotehnologie Oxitec intenționează să elibereze țânțari modificați genetic în arhipeleagul Florida Keys. Recent, compania a solicitat din nou aprobarea pentru a elibera o nouă versiune a țânțarilor. Compania susține că nu există niciun risc în utilizarea tetraciclinei pentru reproducerea țânțarilor modificați genetic. Nu există, susțin aceștia, o monitorizare a bolilor în țările în care Oxitec a eliberat țânțari și nici informații despre prețul tehnologiei.

Persons: Oxitec, Țânțarii Organizations: EPA, Compania, Universitatea Yale, Yale Locations: Florida, Florida Keys, Brazilia, SUA

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