Was the Zika Outbreak Caused by Release of Genetically Modified Mosquitos in Brazil?

03 Feb, 2016 by Cassy Fiano

Print this article Font size -16+

As the Zika out break spreads across the Americas, people continue to ask how this outbreak happened. And in this case, it seems that the virus could be of our own making.

The Zika virus outbreak currently gripping the Americas could have been sparked by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in 2012, critics say.

The insects were engineered by biotechnology experts to combat the spread of dengue fever and other diseases and released into the general population of Brazil in 2012.

But with the World Health Organisation (WHO) now meeting in Geneva to desperately discuss cures for the Zika virus, speculation has mounted as to the cause of this sudden outbreak.

… The Aedes aegypti mosquito sub-species that carries both the Zika virus and dengue was the type targeted with genetically modified mosquitoes.

The aim was to release only male Aedes mosquitoes into the wild and they would in turn produce offspring with their virus carrying female counterparts.

This offspring would then die off before breeding again due to the GM coding in their genes.

But experts expressed concerns about the programme at the time of its inception, arguing that further studies were needed on the potential consequences.

If this is truly what caused the virus, then there should be some kind of restitution for its victims. And hopefully, now that scientists are figuring our what has caused it, it will mean they’re a step closer to a cure.