Mutant mosquitoes released in dengue fight

SOURCE

Wow... Just Wow... I don't know what to think of this. On one side it's a great thing to prevent so much disease, but on another, scientists are tampering with nature; a very dangerous venture!!!

I'm wondering what the impact of a lower numbers in mosquitoes would have on the general ecosystem of the cayman islands... I also wonder, if this is a success, what other animals, insects, or plants will they modify next under the pretext of disease control.

I understand that there are already modified plants in our food system, but this is now concerning disease control. How far will this go?

Magnum

This is something "experimental"
Yet they're experimenting with the live natural world.
If they really wanted to see results safely they woulda done this in a controlled

Now whatever comes to this is their fault, whether it be good or bad.
And if it's bad, then what?

Put it in history books,
And repeat it

reply to post by Anttyk47


It's exactly what I mean! Why wasn't this first done in a controlled environment before they released it out into the real world. How can it be an experiment when it's already used it for real?

It makes no sense!

Magnum

reply to post by Magnum007



It is pretty frightening. We'll see a 4 pound mosquito one day and say oh...that's just another one of those hybrid mosquitoes they released back in 2010 to combat dengue. It won't hurt you. It might just crack the windshield on the car but look ma, no dengue!

reply to post by rusethorcain


It would be like hitting a flying moose!

I just don't get how they make ethical decisions. Do they just throw common sense out the door and then make up ethics on the fly? (oh snap!) I mean these people are supposed to be educated scientists... Why do they not look at the ethical side and the repercussions of their actions?

I'm all for disease control, but I don't want to create other problems in the process! What will they do next, create a super bird to eat these things if they mutate again and start being fertile for whatever reason?

reply to post by Magnum007


So many instances where this strategy has backfired. We are so bad at playing God.
They cannot get rid of the mongooses on St John. They brought them over to handle the snakes and now they have a mongoose problem. Something interesting I saw on homes in Costa Rica...more than one had a bat in the belfry! Actually I don't know what a belfry is. But the homes there did have a bat hanging outside the front doors, sleeping. At night the bat takes care of the mosquitoes and bugs that fly around the porch light.
Now that's a natural bug zapper...I remember thinking.