Mosquitoes Are a Choice
Rising temperatures and pesticide resistance are leading to a resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria in the United States. The article argues that genetic engineering, specifically gene-drive technology, could eliminate these threats but remains stalled by regulatory hurdles.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between public health innovation and regulatory caution regarding genetic modification in the environment.
Most Americans think of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and dengue as problems that affect people in other countries, not their own. Until recently, they would have been largely correct: malaria and yellow fever were eliminated in the United States in the twentieth century, and dengue had become extremely rare, with most cases brought back from abroad. But as temperatures have risen and mosquitoes have developed resistance to pesticides, these diseases have become a growing problem again in the United States.
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