Context:
Recently, genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes were introduced in East Africa’s Djibouti to combat malaria.
About the GM Mosquito program:
- The release of GM mosquitoes is a part of the “Djibouti Friendly Mosquito Programme,” initiated to halt the spread of the invasive Anopheles Stephensi mosquito.
- Oxitec, a biotechnology company developed this method to fight malaria-carrying mosquitoes using other mosquitoes.
What are GM Mosquitoes?
GM mosquitoes are mass-produced in a laboratory to carry two types of genes:
- A self-limiting gene that prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving to adulthood.
- A fluorescent marker gene that glows under a special red light. This allows researchers to identify GM mosquitoes in the wild.
About Anopheles Stephensi mosquito:
- Origin: It is an invasive mosquito originally from South Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, first appearing in Africa in 2012.
- Urban Threat: Unlike most malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Africa, which prefer rural areas, Anopheles Stephensi thrives in urban environments.
- Djibouti Case Study: Significant rise in malaria cases from 27 in 2012 to over 73,000 by 2020.
- Spread Across Africa: Its spread later continued to other African countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Nigeria.
Method adopted for prevention:
- In this method Oxitec altered male mosquitoes to carry a gene that stops their female offspring from growing into adults.
- Since female mosquitoes spread malaria, reducing their numbers can lower disease transmission also.
- This method is safe and specifically targets the mosquitoes causing the problem.
Other similar initiatives:
- Burkina Faso conducted the first-ever release of .
- Uganda is also partnering with Oxitec for a similar initiative to combat malaria.
Concerns related to GM mosquitos:
- People are worried that genetically modified mosquitoes might harm humans and other species and could lead to unexpected problems like spreading dangerous viruses.
- According to some experts, just reducing the number of virus-carrying mosquitoes isn’t sufficient to prevent outbreaks.