A Brazil-based company found a technology to modify the mosquito genome to destroy the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
This gene creates an offspring that dies before reproducing.
What is sowing a fear?
Through this experiment, the population of the targeted mosquito species is drastically reduced in a few generations.
Yale University study - To find the effects of the use of genetically-engineered mosquitoes to kill the dengue-, Zika- and chikungunya-causing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
The scientists suggest that,
The field trials went wrong.
This would very likely result in a more robust population of mosquitoes than the pre-release population due to hybrid vigour.
It is unclear how this may affect the efforts to control these dangerous vectors.
That is enough to sow fear and uncertainty in the minds of thoughtful people and create scary headlines around the world.
Unfortunately, the paper offered no data at all to support the “very likely" assessment.
The journal subsequently said that the editors have received criticisms and will offer a response once they have been resolved.
Most of the time, anything genetically-modified does not get good press. Good scientists know this and are careful in their communications.
What is at stake?
At stake are the prospects of a promising way to control the population of mosquitoes and the growing risk they pose to human health and welfare.
Concern - While this way to control mosquitoes appears to be effective and selective, unintended long-term consequences is a concern.
The methods we use to kill mosquitoes may come back and haunt us.
It’s possible that the absence of the bloodsucking Aedes mosquito might be more detrimental to other life on earth than its presence.
Why should we take the risk?
A 2016 estimate - The economic burden of dengue in India, the direct and indirect costs of that disease alone is around $1.1 billion per year.
This is an underestimate because it ignores broader opportunity costs.
The burden imposed by malaria, a disease spread by the Anopheles mosquito, is so large that it is macro-economically significant.
In India, there were over 9 million reported cases that caused around 16,000 deaths in 2017.
Almost everyone in India (94% of the population), remains at risk.
In the future - Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns may exacerbate malaria risks in the northern and north-eastern states.
That is the states with weaker public health systems are at risk of a higher disease burden.
What should India do?
There’s no ethical reason to grant the mosquito a reprieve merely on it belonging to a different species.
Indeed, there is a moral case for us to use every possible means to control harmful mosquito species.
If genetic technology presents us with an opportunity, India must remain open to it.
It is important for projects like the ongoing caged trials in Maharashtra, to progress to the next level.
India has an interest in the continuation of trials and release of genetically-engineered mosquitoes around the world.
Given the direct human costs of the mosquito-borne diseases, we must not be shy of carefully taking calculated risks in trying out new solutions.
Despite the recent controversy over the results in Brazil, no one is contesting the fact that the trial was successful in reducing the Aedes mosquito population.
No negative impact was observed even after a couple of years.
Even as they stay sensitive to the risks of unintended consequences, our policymakers must not lose sight of the promise of that finding.
