Brandon Pinder News Today

After roughly 10 years of debate and permitting, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec announced Friday that the release of genetically modified mosquitoes will begin as early as next week. Project managers anticipate that, during the last week of April and first week of May, release boxes, non-release boxes and netted quality control boxes will be placed in six locations: two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key in Marathon, according to Oxitec spokeswoman Mer...

The United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec will soon announce the test locations and timetable for releasing its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The test involves releasing lab-reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species of mosquito commonly found in the Keys that can carry dengue fever, Zika and chikungunya. There could be small specific release sites that will be spread throughout the Keys, Oxitec spokeswoman Meredith Fensom said. Not one small defined area of neighbo...