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News | 03 Nov 2021

Adapting mosquitos, genetically modified mosquitoes, and the health of a country

"The interdependence between human health and planetary health has never been clearer. But time is fast running out. As we urgently seek to rescue the situation, we must look to invest in Natural Capital as the engine of our economy" the Prince of Wales at the UNFCCC COP26.

Biodiversity

Dengue was first reported in Pakistan in 1994, and the first epidemic occurred in Karachi in 2005. Since 2010, Pakistan has been experiencing an epidemic-like situation in three provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh. Things are not looking too good in the port city of Karachi either: “We are seeing loads of dengue cases. It seems to have replaced COVID-19,” admitted Dr Naseem Salahuddin, heading the infectious diseases department at Karachi’s The Indus Hospital.

There are indications that Aedes mosquitoes have gone through adaptation to relatively temperate zones in Pakistan, and gained new territory thanks to climate change, along with an increasing population, urbanization, garbage and transportation. This is worsened by the lack of a long term disease control strategy.

Upon this scenario, the use of Genetically Modified (GM) mosquitos has been proposed. This involves the release of GM Aedes (male only) mosquitoes, who would mate with female mosquitoes (who are the carrier of the virus), resulting in an expected reduction of offspring, and thus populations. Some field trials of genetically modified mosquitoes have successfully been carried out in various countries including Malaysia, French Polynesia, Brazil, Australia, Vietnam and Singapore, showing no significant impact on human and animal health or the ecosystem at first glance.

This kind of intervention however, is relatively new, and due to the possible irreversible impact it could have, some call for the precautionary approach. “Any biological intervention altering environmental ecosystem has to be very carefully weighed for its pros and cons,” said Dr. Rana Safdar, director-general, health, Pakistan. “Unforeseen consequences of releasing GM mosquitoes cannot be ruled out outright,” he added warily. “Not only can genetic engineering alter the mosquito’s targeted characteristic but can go beyond.” This tampering with nature could potentially enhance the risk of other mosquito-borne diseases or become a source of another nuisance.

Via: Inter Press Service