Harris county is 'potentially' releasing genetically engineered mutant mosquitoes so we don't get Zika. This is still in the 'trail phase', but hey, why not try it here first? Oh, we've had no sign of Zika here. Don't know about anyone else, but I find this terrifying. Anything with the words 'genetically engineered' has this effect on me.
@Max57: It really depends on what you on what you mean by "no sign of Zika here." There have been Zika cases identified in the greater Houston area and at least 1 infant was diagnosed, post-mortem, as having Zika related microcephaly. If what you mean is no Zika infections occurring here, that appears to be true but given that the Aedes Aegypti thrives here, that the Zika virus easily passes for influenza and that Zika infection is not tested for unless a pregnant woman shows signs of infection, nobody is sure if there were undetected casesThere have been uses of "genetically modified" mosquitos in northeast Brazil where the Zika epidemic was quite severe. Brazilian, WHO, and CDC believe it was helpful in controlling the spread of the virus but because they were not deployed until the end of mosquito season they can not be sure. There is also a proposal to test genetically modified in one of the Florida keys. Frankly, I don't know that I prefer aerial spraying with Naled should the virus rear its gestational microcephaly inducing head.
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