Possible use of GMO mosquitoes in Florida to fight Zika virus

"The trial [given preliminary approval by the federal government] would see genetically altered male mosquitoes released into the wild near Key West in Florida. These mosquitoes — of the speciesAedes aegypti — contain a gene that kills the animal (referred to as a "lethality trait") as well as fluorescent markers used for lab identification. When the genetically altered males mate with the local female mosquito population they produce offspring that die while still young, minimizing the spread of diseases carried by the animals, including Zika and dengue.

...Scientist have welcomed the FDA's tentative approval of the trials. Zachary Adelman, an associate professor at Virginia Tech's Department of Entomology, said he was "glad to see that cooler heads have prevailed." He added: "By allowing the trial, the FDA will be signaling that science and evidence-based practices should prevail over the hysteria and irrationality long associated with genetically-modified organisms."

Oxitec, which describes itself as "the only GM insect company in the world," has already carried out trials using its genetically altered mosquitoes in Piracicaba, a city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The company said in January that this reduced the local population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by 82 percent, and that it was building a new factory in the city to expand the project. Bringing these measures to the US may seem extreme, but it could be necessary as climate change and urbanization help spread mosquito-borne diseases to new regions."

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/11/11207664/genetically-altered-misquitoes-fda-first-approval