Oxitec and MRCU Report 80% Suppression of a Dengue Mosquito Population in Grand Cayman by Release of Engineered Sterile Male Mosquitoes - Nature Biotechnology

Oxitec and MRCU Report 80% Suppression of a Dengue Mosquito Population in Grand Cayman by Release of Engineered Sterile Male Mosquitoes - Nature Biotechnology PR Newswire LONDON, September 10, 2012 LONDON, September 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Releases of Oxitec's genetically modified mosquitoes achieved an 80% reduction of a local mosquito population in the Cayman Islands, as described today in the prestigious international scientific journal Nature Biotechnology. A paper[1] by the Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) and Oxitec reports a successful demonstration of Oxitec's innovative approach to controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito - the insect responsible for spreading dengue fever. These data demonstrating the effectiveness of Oxitec's solution, previously made available to the scientific community through conference presentations, are now published in a major peer-reviewed scientific journal. Commenting on the publication, Dr William Petrie, Director of the MRCU said: "Dengue is a dangerous and debilitating disease which affects up to 100 million people each year. The incidence of dengue has grown very rapidly in recent years: it is now a serious threat to global health, and the only means of prevention is to target the mosquitoes which carry it. We need new tools in the fight against these dangerous pests, and today's publication shows that Oxitec's approach can provide that.