FDA made the right decision to allow the release of genetically modified mosquitos in the wild. First, they allowed that on a trial basis meaning that the release was only for testing purposes. Every research has a stage of wider trials to test the efficacy of the results obtained from a small scale study. In this regard, it was time for the release especially with the outbreak of Zika virus and Dengue fever. Besides, the government was acting in good faith because the aim of releasing the mosquitos was to help the public health sector deal with the outbreak of the Zika virus in the region. Moreover, there seems to be unanimous agreement that traditional methods for controlling the mosquitoes were not effective. At the same time, they tend to kill other nontarget insects (Pollack, 2015). Since genetic modification targets only the Aedes aegypti, it is an effective method to eliminate the Zika vectors.
However, there has been mistrust among scientist and residents on various studies across the country. The FDA’s release of the mosquitoes seems to face similar issues as past studies. Some residents felt that the genetically modified mosquitoes could affect their children adversely. The FDA treats genetically modified animals as animal drugs and subjects them to rules under the veterinary division. I believe this is wrong basing on the fundamental differences between animals and insects. The FDA could allow ICIPE and Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate exclusively the effects of the genetically modified mosquitos to the environment. Moreover, there was a need for public awareness on the same because the public may reject the move due to insufficient knowledge on the effects on humans. Besides, there is no evidence of actual tests on the potential effects on humans.
Reference
Pollack, A. (2016, March 11). The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/business/test-of-zika-fighting-genetically-altered- mosquitoes-gets-tentative-fda-approval.html?_r=1
