EPA Approves Lab Infected Killer Mosquitoes to be Released into the Environment
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use laboratory infected mosquitoes carrying the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis to be released into the wild. The laboratory-raised mosquitoes are meant to be a way to infect Asian Tiger mosquitoes, which are believed to carry harmful infectious diseases. The long term environmental consequences are unknown. Because mosquitoes are prey for birds and fish, the long-term effects on the greater ecosystem are unclear.