THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes will be released into the Florida Keys to test if they can help control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry several deadly diseases, including Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
The genetically modified mosquitoes produce female offspring that die in the larval stage. Only adult female mosquitoes bite for blood, CNN reported.
In the pilot project, more than 750 million of the genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in 2021 and 2022.
The plan just received final approval from local authorities after being approved by state and federal officials, CNN reported.
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