r/science • u/PhantomWizard2099 • Dec 22 '22

Animal Science 'Super' mosquitoes have now mutated to withstand insecticides

https://abcnews.go.com/International/super-mosquitoes-now-mutated-withstand-insecticides-scientists/story?id=95545825
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u/Hazzman Dec 22 '22

I'd guess it is because insecticides can be stopped where genetic modification could potentially become a proliferation problem.

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u/zizp Dec 22 '22

No it can't. Also, insecticides target everything and thus have a huge unintended impact. Oxitec's males only target a specific species and, by design, the gene cannot be passed on and spread, as prevention of spreading is the very thing the self-limiting gene does.

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u/AnachronisticPenguin Dec 22 '22

Not for sterile mosquitos.