• Without quick and coordinated action from the government, healthcare workers, and communities, these diseases will keep hurting the most vulnerable people.

Sher Muhammad Khan

Pakistan is a country dealing with many problems, like political issues, economic difficulties, and climate changes. Now, it is facing another serious challenge: the quick spread of diseases carried by mosquitoes, especially malaria and dengue. These diseases are often not talked about much, but they are causing deaths, overloading hospitals, and making people even poorer. Even though these diseases can be prevented and treated, their numbers are going up because of poor sanitation, climate change, Rapid city-growth, and weak healthcare systems.

This article explores how malaria and dengue are becoming bigger problems in Pakistan. It looks at the reasons they are spreading, their effects on people’s lives, and what can be done to stop them from causing more harm.

The Rising Burden of Malaria in Pakistan – Current Statistics and Trends

Malaria is still a serious issue in Pakistan, with around 3.5 million cases reported every year, according to the World Health Organization.

It is common in areas like Sindh, Balochistan, and southern Punjab, where standing water, poor drainage, and limited access to healthcare allow the Anopheles mosquito, which spreads malaria, to thrive.

Pakistan accounts for 5% of the world’s malaria cases, with Plasmodium vivax being the main type (70% of cases), followed by Plasmodium falciparum (30%).

Children and pregnant women are especially at risk because their immune systems are weaker, making them more likely to die from the disease.

Factors Fueling Malaria’s Spread – Climate Change & Flooding

More rain and flooding, like the 2022 super floods, have created more places for mosquitoes to breed.

Higher temperatures help mosquitoes breed faster and allow the malaria parasite to develop quicker.

Urbanization & Poor Sanitation

Rapid and unplanned city growth has led to water pooling in slums and construction sites.

Poor waste management allows water to collect in old containers and tires.

Weak Healthcare Systems

Rural areas lack proper diagnostic tools and antimalarial drugs. People are often misdiagnosed because the symptoms of malaria are similar to other illnesses.

Insecticide Resistance

Mosquitoes are becoming resistant to common insecticides like DDT, making insecticide spraying less effective.

The Dengue Epidemic: A Seasonal Nightmare

Alarming Surge in Cases

Unlike malaria, which is more common in rural areas, dengue has become a big problem in cities.

Spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue cases have gone up a lot. In 2023 alone, over 50,000 cases and hundreds of deaths were reported. Cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar are most affected because of high population density and poor water storage.

Dengue outbreaks usually happen after the monsoon season (September to November), when rainwater pools and creates perfect breeding conditions.

The disease has four types (DENV-1 to DENV-4), and getting infected with a new type can lead to severe dengue, which can be deadly if not treated on time.

Why Dengue is Thriving in Pakistan – Lack of Public Awareness

Many people don’t recognize the early signs of dengue, like high fever, headaches, and joint pain, and don’t seek treatment quickly.

Some think dengue is just a mild virus and ignore it, which can lead to serious illness and death.

Ineffective Vector Control

City clean-up campaigns are not consistent and do not target mosquito larvae effectively. Some communities resist indoor spraying because of wrong information.

Healthcare Overload During Outbreaks

During dengue peaks, hospitals run out of platelets and ICU beds. Private clinics charge high fees for tests and treatment, making healthcare unaffordable for poor families.

Global Warming Extending Transmission Seasons

Warmer temperatures allow mosquitoes to survive longer, increasing the time they can spread the virus.

Socio-Economic and Health Impacts

1. Loss of Lives

Malaria and dengue kill thousands of people each year, with children, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems most at risk.

Many deaths happen because people delay treatment.

2. Economic Burden

Productivity decreases as workers and students miss school or work due to illness.

Families spend a lot of their income on treatment, which puts them in more debt. Public health budgets are stretched thin as they deal with outbreaks, taking away money from other important programs.

3. Overwhelmed Health Systems

Hospitals in areas with high dengue cases face shortages of beds, forcing patients to share beds or lie on the floor.

Delayed diagnosis worsens outcomes, especially for severe cases of malaria and dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Solutions and the Way Forward

1. Strengthening Vector Control Measures

Community-based larval surveillance: Get local volunteers to find and remove breeding sites.

Biological control: Use fish that eat mosquito larvae, like guppies, in stagnant water.

Innovative insecticides: Use different chemicals to prevent mosquitoes from developing resistance.

2. Public Awareness Campaigns

Use media and social platforms to spread information about symptoms and prevention.

Teach children in schools about how to avoid mosquito breeding and stay safe.

3. Improved Healthcare Preparedness

Train healthcare workers to diagnose the diseases quickly and accurately.

Keep stocks of important medicines and supplies, like anti-malarials and platelets, ready for emergencies. Set up mobile clinics in remote areas to provide fast testing and treatment.

4. Climate-Resilient Urban Planning

Develop proper drainage systems to prevent waterlogging in cities .Enforce rules to stop construction sites from creating stagnant water.

5. Research and Vaccine Development

Test malaria vaccines, like RTS’S/AS01 (Mosquirix), in high-risk regions.

Consider introducing the Dengvaxia vaccine in areas where dengue is common.

Malaria and dengue are not just health problems—they are major economic and social issues that quietly harm Pakistan’s progress.

Without quick and coordinated action from the government, healthcare workers, and communities, these diseases will keep hurting the most vulnerable people.

In a commendable collaborative effort, the Health Department of Badin, the National Rural Support Program (NRSP), and the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) recently celebrated week for the Malaria and Dengue Awareness Campaign in all over district Badin.  The sessions across high and middle schools in the district. The initiative, aimed at educating students—both girls and boys—on prevention and early detection, represents a crucial step in Pakistan’s fight against these silent killers

Pakistan needs to adopt a strong plan that includes prevention, education, and better healthcare to fight these silent killers.

The time to act is now—before another outbreak takes more lives.

Read: Climate Change Effects on Personal Life

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Sher Muhammad Khan, Development Professional, Writer, Blogger, working with National Rural Support Program-NRSP, District Coordinator -GFATM Project (Malaria) District Badin

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Karachi

Following the rise of dengue cases across flood affected districts and other major cities of Sindh, mainly due to the stagnant flood water, a one-month drive was launched by Sightsavers Pakistan and Islamic Relief Pakistan for fumigation in ten most flood affected areas of the province to protect the local populations who are suffering from water borne diseases.

Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Karachi, Dadu, Kambar Shahdad Kot, Jamshoro, Sujawal, Matiari, Larkana and Thatta districts were being covered during the campaign launched with Rs.8 million funds provided by the international organization Sightsavers Pakistan while the Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) executed the fumigation operations in collaboration with the Sindh PDMA and health authorities.

To ensure continuous support, Sightsavers and IRP has handed over all the equipment and machinery used for the fumigation operation to PDMA and Provincial Health department for future drives, says a press release.

The stagnant flood water was the main source of the spread of multiple diseases especially dengue due to the limited preventive health care services. PDMA and Health Department in the province were of high concern that the dengue cases might go high if further coordinated efforts are not put in place to curb the incidences in post-flood situation. About 48,906 dengue cases were reported during January–November, 2021 including 183 deaths.

“Purpose of the one-month campaign was to contribute to the government’s efforts to reduce and control spread of dengue cases among flood affected communities of the most affected districts,” said Munazza Gillani, Country Director Sightsavers, while giving details of the operations.

She said that Sightsavers and IRP stayed in regular consultation and collaboration with the PDMA and provincial Health Department to execute our operations for dengue virus control with the help of local community volunteers.  Under this campaign around 1.6 million population has been benefitted.

Over 80 percent of total population of Sindh province is directly or indirectly affected by the heavy floods. The extent of damages can be assessed with the fact that, out of 33 million affected population in the country, 11,905,599 affectees belong to Sindh. Reported casualties in the province are 747 and injured persons are 8422. Human suffering is paramount as 1,076,099 houses have been partially damaged, while 739,995 houses are completely washed away as a result of floods.

Country Director IRP Asif Sherazi while emphasizing on the need for meaningful and result-oriented partnerships said that “The scale of disaster is huge and losses are beyond estimations. It will take us years to rebuild and rehabilitate. Together with Sightsavers, we are trying to avert a health crisis in Sindh where the needs are mounting amidst approaching winters.”

He also said that they have further operations in the pipeline to provide more health care to the affected communities besides providing food and other relief goods. (PR)

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Smriti Mallapaty

A vaccine to prevent infection from dengue — a mosquito-borne disease that kills 20,000 people a year — is poised to roll out in Indonesia next year. But the jab is stirring debate: some researchers say that important safety concerns have been overlooked.

The vaccine, called Qdenga and developed by the pharmaceutical company Takeda, headquartered in Tokyo, is particularly significant because it is the first for people who have not been exposed to dengue. The virus infects up to 400 million people a year. The Indonesian drug regulator approved use of the vaccine without testing for previous exposure in August. Europe’s drug regulator is also considering approving the vaccine without testing.

The only other approved vaccine, Dengvaxia, developed by Sanofi in Paris, can be given only to people who have already been infected. In individuals with no history of infection, Dengvaxia increases the risk of severe disease, including haemorrhagic fever, which might be caused by a rare but serious condition called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), in which vaccination induces antibodies that make a subsequent infection worse.

It is the possibility of ADE that is fuelling concerns about the new vaccine among some scientists, who say that it cannot be ruled out on the basis of clinical-trial data gathered so far. “I was really disappointed and surprised that the Indonesian government approved” the vaccine without restrictions, says Aravinda de Silva, a virologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has collaborated with Takeda and other dengue-vaccine developers.

A Takeda spokesperson says that clinical-trial data have been collected from more than 28,000 people over 4.5 years, which is in line with World Health Organization recommendations. The data show that Qdenga is safe, regardless of past dengue exposure, the spokesperson says. And the European Medicines Agency says there is no clear evidence of a higher risk of severe disease in people who have not been infected previously.

Other researchers say Qdenga will help to reduce the growing burden of dengue. The virus is endemic in more than 100 countries, predominantly in Asia. With no treatments and limited ways to control the spread of mosquitoes, vaccines are desperately needed. “I support the licensure of the vaccine in Indonesia,” says Tedjo Sasmono, a virologist at the Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology in Jakarta. Indonesia has one of the world’s highest numbers of dengue infections each year.

First approval

Dengue has four distinct ‘serotypes’ (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4) and protection from any two of them is needed to reduce the chance of serious disease. After a second infection, or vaccination followed by a breakthrough infection, people are typically protected against all four.

Qdenga is a two-dose inactivated-virus vaccine that uses DENV-2 as a backbone. Genes for key proteins from the other three serotypes are engineered into this backbone.

In 2019, Takeda published the results1 of a trial across 8 countries, conducted in roughly 19,000 children aged between 4 and 16. One year after immunization, the vaccine had an efficacy of 80% against symptomatic dengue, and 95% against hospitalization. In a press release posted in June this year, Takeda reported that 4.5 years after immunization, the efficacy had dropped to 61% for symptomatic infection and 84% for hospitalization.

Indonesia’s drug regulator has approved the vaccine for people aged between 6 and 45. Dropping testing for past dengue exposure makes the vaccine more practical and easier to roll out, says Eggi Arguni, a pediatrician at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. And approving Qdenga for six-year-olds will make vaccination available to younger children; in Indonesia, Dengvaxia is licensed for use only in people aged nine or older, she says. More than half of children in Indonesia have been exposed to dengue at least once by the age of six, which reduces any potential risk of ADE triggered by the new vaccine, says Arguni.

In mid-October, a committee at the European Medicines Agency recommended that the vaccine be approved for people aged four and older in Europe and dengue-endemic countries outside the European Union. The European Commission has yet to announce its decision.

Lessons from the past

But some researchers are worried about the vaccine being approved for everyone, given what is known so far. Studies suggest that after dengue infection, the immune system is hyped up enough to protect against a second infection with any serotype for one to two years — a phenomenon that is mimicked by vaccines, says de Silva. But after that period, people are protected only from the serotype to which they were first exposed, and are at increased risk of ADE when infected with other serotypes. A vaccine that does not protect against all four serotypes in people who have never been infected could induce a similar phenomenon, says Leah Katzelnick, an epidemiologist at the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

That’s probably what happened with Dengvaxia. Clinical trials suggested the vaccine was safe before it was rolled out across the Philippines in 2016, but scientists raised concerns after they reviewed the data on hospitalizations in young kids2. In further analysis and modelling of clinical-trial data collected up to five years after immunization, Sanofi found that the vaccine almost doubled the risk of previously infection-naive children aged between 2 and 16 being hospitalized, some with severe disease, including dengue hemorrhagic fever3. The increased risk might have been due to ADE, but that has not been confirmed definitively.

The episode caused a huge backlash in the Philippines against vaccines in general, says Katzelnick. “Not being cautious on this has negative ramifications beyond just dengue.”

So far, no cases of ADE have been reported in clinical trials of Qdenga. But some scientists who have reviewed the clinical data say the jab could increase the risk of the condition in people who have not previously been infected, because it does not seem to protect against all four serotypes.

Data described in a paper published online in October last year4 show that vaccinated individuals without previous infection were still protected against DENV-2 in the third year after their jab, but had limited to no protection against DENV-1 or DENV-3. There were not enough cases of infection with DENV-4 to determine whether the vaccine offered protection against that serotype in people who had never previously been infected.

The data only provide evidence for the vaccine having lasting protecting against one serotype, says de Silva, which means it’s possible that a breakthrough infection with serotypes 1, 3 or 4 could cause ADE.

Hospital data

Researchers are also concerned because, according to the trial data, vaccinated individuals who had never had dengue before their jab but were infected with DENV-3 two years afterwards were more likely to end up in hospital than were people who had not been vaccinated. The case numbers are small, and not statistically significant, but they are “very strongly in the wrong direction”, says Katzelnick. It will be important to see whether these numbers rise over time, she says. “These observations are warning signs,” says de Silva — they suggest that the vaccine could be acting like a DENV-2 infection, and therefore increasing the risk of hospitalization in previously naive people infected with DENV-3.

This is a concern because DENV-3 is widespread in many areas, including parts of Indonesia, says Alejandro Marín López, a viral vaccinologist at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

The vaccine should be tested in more people without previous infections before it is rolled out to large populations, says Scott Halstead, a retired virologist and vaccinologist formerly at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda.

Adequate safety data

The EMA told Nature that its committee had recommended Qdenga on the basis of more than four years of data on safety and efficacy. It says that these accumulated data show efficacy against DENV-1 and DENV-2, even in people without previous infections. Together, DENV-1 and DENV-2 are responsible for most of the dengue burden globally, and efficacy against those serotypes “outweighs any remaining uncertainty on lack of efficacy”, against DENV-3 and DENV-4, says the EMA.

Indonesia’s drug regulator did not respond to requests for comment.

Choo Beng Goh, head of medical affairs at Takeda Asia Pacific, told Nature that the company had identified no important safety risks in long-term analyses of the vaccine. The World Health Organization recommends obtaining three to five years’ worth of follow-up data after dengue vaccination to assess safety and efficacy accurately. This is consistent with Takeda’s phase III trial in children, Goh says.

He agrees that in people who have not previously been exposed to dengue, long-term vaccine data showed no efficacy against DENV-3 and there were not enough data to assess efficacy against DENV-4. But he says there was no evidence of ADE associated with the vaccine, and overall — when looking at data combining all four serotypes — the vaccine demonstrated efficacy in infection-naive individuals. Goh says the company plans to continue collecting data during Qdenga’s roll-out in Indonesia.

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Courtesy: Nature (Published on November 9, 2022)

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*We will never forgive those who have deliberately caused flood

*Govt. needs to take a number of steps for reforms in Civil Service

Save us from deadly outbreak of dengue. It’s spreading day by day because of stagnant flood and rain water accumulated in surroundings after the monsoon rains. It causes diseases like malaria, fever, cough, and pain in body, headache, vomiting and many other diseases. Dengue is dangerous disease and every year many of people get affected but this year it has broken all previous records. According to official data released recently, more than 4500 dengue cases were reported this year. This number is on the increase after the rains. Even at present when I am writing, many people are wandering for the medicine to cure it. We are already in the war like situation and now this dengue has created doomsday for the people of Sindh. The government should take immediate steps to control the dengue.

Attaullah Soomro

Karachi Sindh

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Age-Limit for CSS

On 15th of July, a tweet by the Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, which read “Cabinet approves increase in upper age limit from 28 to 30 years for CSS exams to benefit youth from backward areas and higher qualification,” turned aspirants’ despair into hope, and gloom into a reinforced resolve as they found in it a great opportunity to make their dreams come true. This indeed, is a wise decision as with this step the government has set the ball rolling to introduce the much-needed civil service reforms.

As per the figures provided in the economic survey of Pakistan 2015-16 approximately 1.294 million students are enrolled in the Universities across Pakistan. In all likelihood, a big chunk of this lot will go for CSS because a career in civil service of Pakistan means a life of prestige and honor. In order to attract the genuine talent from these University graduation, or more rightly the cream the country, toward civil service, the government needs to take a number of steps in addition to increasing the upper age limit.

Khushboo Samo

Karachi Sindh

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Flood destroyed our universe

Village life is very charming. It is quiet and peaceful. The chirping and melodious sound of birds, the movement of domestic animals before dawn are the source of immense pleasure. Moreover, the population of a village is very thin and relations are very intimate as compared to that of cities. Here, most of the houses are made of mud. The cold and fresh water of earthen pitcher is better than that of any expensive refrigerator. The meeting and get together with people of all age everyday are considered the learning classes where elders with open heart distribute and share the treasures of knowledge. There are open places and fields. The air is fresh and there is lush greenery surrounded with fragrance. But the recent rains drowned all, the beauty, hopes, birds, animals, houses and wealth. Flood destroyed our universe. We will never forget our people lost in flood. Gone are the days when we had everything, a wealthiest person might have, but now we are on roads at the mercy of those stakeholders who actually have snatched everything from us. We will never forgive those who have deliberately caused this flood to drown us all for the sake of their vested interests. May Allah curse them!

Muskan Dahani

Village Aitbar Khan Dahani Akil road Larkana

The post Save us from Dengue first appeared on Sindh Courier.

The rainfall helps set mosquitoes up to thrive. Wet weather conditions give mosquitoes bountiful opportunities to find standing water to lay their eggs on. When warm weather follows the rain, mosquitoes are able to proliferate even more rapidly. In view of ongoing monsoon rains in Sindh and other parts of country, the outbreak of Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya is feared. Several cases of Dengue have already been reported in Karachi. It is therefore necessary for all of us to take precautionary measures.

Malaria, dengue and chikungunya – all three viruses spread by mosquitoes are similar that it can be quite difficult to identify them for sure without laboratory testing. But it is important to find out what the exact diseases is for it to be properly treated. Let us try and understand something about the causes, signs and symptoms, similarities and difference, and the prevention of these diseases.

Causes of Malaria: Malaria is caused by plasmodium, a single-celled parasite often transmitted by infected mosquitoes which can lead to stoppage of blood flow to the brain causing cerebral malaria.

Signs and symptoms: Malaria is recognized through high fever. Temperature may reach as high as 40c (104f). Fever is often accompanied by chills, and may also include sweating.

Causes of Dengue: There are four types of dengue viruses, all of which are spread by mosquitoes. An infected mosquito spreads the virus through its saliva when it bites. Dengue can also be transmitted from one human to another.

Signs and symptoms: High fever is followed by sever body pain. Patients may also feel respiratory difficulty and intense headache.

Causes of Chikungunya: This virus is also transmitted through mosquitoes. These mosquitoes live and breed near stagnant or polluted water. Although the diseases is not contagious it can spread from an infected person to other if the mosquitoes feed on the infected person first and then bites other people.

Signs and symptoms: The diseases is rarely in the system as the virus remains in the system for 5-7 days. Once one recovers from this infected, one is immune to it for the rest of life.

Prevention: There are no vaccines or medical ways to prevent these diseases. Here are a few useful suggestions for protecting oneself from these diseases.

• Wear clothes that will keep you fully covered.
• Live in hygienic surroundings.
• All these diseases that is malaria, dengue and chikungunya affect a person’s health. If we observe symptoms of these diseases, the earlier they are treated the quicker is the recovery.

Khushboo Samo

Karachi, Sindh

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Islamkot, Tharparkar: The Thar Foundation, a social arm of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), has launched fumigation in almost all the villages falling in Thar Coal Block-2 after some cases of dengue and malaria were   reported in certain areas.

The fumigation drive has been started in Thar Coal Block-2 and Gorano areas with the support of provincial health department. “The fumigation drive will cover about 20 villages and will benefit twenty thousand people of those villages,” a Thar Foundation press release said.

It is said that three dengue cases were reported from Union Council Seengario.

The villages to be covered by fumigation drive include – Soomar Ji Dhani, New Senhri Dars, Thario Halepoto, Jeeando Dars, Mansigh Bheel, Talho Bheel, Seengario, Aban Jo Tar, Bitra, Jaman Samoon, Gorano, Ehsan Shah Tar, Muto Tar, Suleman Hajam, Allah Dino Hajam, Shiv Jo Tar, Kattan and others.  (PR)

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Biotech firm Oxitec launches controversial field test of its insects in Florida after years of push-back from residents and regulatory complications

Genetically modified mosquitoes will be used for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever

By Emily Waltz

After a decade of fighting for regulatory approval and public acceptance, a biotechnology firm has released genetically engineered mosquitoes into the open air in the United States for the first time. The experiment, launched this week in the Florida Keys — over the objections of some local critics — tests a method for suppressing populations of wild Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which can carry diseases such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

Oxitec, the firm based in Abingdon, UK, that developed the mosquitoes, has previously field-tested the insects in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia.

But until now, owing to a circuitous series of regulatory decisions and pushback from Florida residents (see ‘A long road’), no genetically engineered mosquito had been trialed in the United States — even though the country previously allowed tests of a genetically engineered diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in New York and an engineered pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) in Arizona, both developed by Oxitec. “When something new and revolutionary comes along, the immediate reaction of a lot of people is to say: ‘Wait.’,” says Anthony James, a molecular biologist focused on bioengineered mosquitoes at the University of California, Irvine. “So the fact that [Oxitec] was able to get the trial on the ground in the United States is a big deal.”

Experiment launched

Aedes aegypti makes up about 4% of the mosquito population in the Keys, a chain of tropical islands off the southern tip of Florida. But it is responsible for practically all mosquito-borne disease transmitted to humans in the region, according to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD), which is working closely with Oxitec on the project. Researchers and technicians working on the project will release bioengineered male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which don’t bite, to mate with the wild female population, responsible for biting prey and transmitting disease. The genetically engineered males carry a gene that passes to their offspring and kills female progeny in early larval stages. Male offspring won’t die but instead will become carriers of the gene and pass it to future generations. As more females die, the Aedes aegypti population should dwindle.

FKMCD in 2010 approached Oxitec about testing its approach in the Keys, because Florida was — and still is — experiencing an increase in mosquito-borne disease. In 2009, the state began seeing cases of locally transmitted dengue, and, a few years later, locally transmitted Zika.

In late April of this year, project researchers placed boxes containing Oxitec’s mosquito eggs at six locations in three areas of the Keys. The first males are expected to emerge within the first two weeks of May. About 12,000 males will exit the boxes each week over the next 12 weeks. In a second phase later this year, intended to collect even more data, nearly 20 million mosquitoes will emerge over a period of about 16 weeks, according to Oxitec.

Genetically engineered mosquitoes are an alternative to insecticides, which are used heavily in the United States to control insect populations. This has resulted in the evolution of mosquitoes that are resistant to insecticides.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing our toolbox shrinking due to resistance,” said Andrea Leal, executive director of FKMCD, at a press conference last week. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re really looking at these new innovative tools and new ways to control this mosquito.”

To monitor the trial’s progress, researchers will use capture devices to trap mosquitoes for study. They will measure how far the male mosquitoes travel from the boxes, how long they live, how effectively they squelch the wild female mosquito population and whether all of the females with the gene are indeed dying. Oxitec mosquitoes carry a fluorescent marker gene that makes them glow when exposed to a specific color of light, which makes identification easier.

The biotech firm plans to present the results to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which gave the green light for the trial. The data will help the EPA to determine whether Oxitec can release the mosquitoes more broadly in the United States. The company is still testing them in Brazil and other countries.

Residential pushback

Opposition to the Florida field trial has been fierce from some residents in the Keys. Worried about being bitten by the mosquitoes or that the insects will disrupt the Florida ecosystem — and generally unhappy about being chosen as a test site — some have threatened to derail the experiments by spraying insecticides near the release points. “As you can imagine, emotions run high, and there are people who feel really strongly either for or against it,” says molecular biologist Natalie Kofler, who lectures at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the founder of Editing Nature, an organization that advocates for responsible development and oversight of gene-editing technologies. “And I can see how, if you didn’t agree to this, it could be really concerning to have mosquitoes released in your neighborhood.”

Many of the concerns stem from the uncertainty of a new technology, says Kofler, who has been following this project for years. Oxitec has been engaging with the Florida Keys community to provide answers to queries. They explained, for instance, the very low likelihood that female mosquitoes with the lethal gene could reproduce. But many people don’t have confidence in what they’re hearing, because it’s coming from a company, says Kofler.

Kofler is hoping that enough data are gathered to assess the mosquitoes’ impact, including on other species in the Keys and local ecosystems, and that it’s done “in a way that’s transparent, and in a way that can make some community members feel better about the whole situation”.

Oxitec employees have taken precautions against vandalism by placing their mosquito boxes on private, fenced-in properties, and not disclosing their precise locations to the public.

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Courtesy: Nature (Received through email)

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