Officials in Miami trying to stop the outbreak of Zika are exploring the use of mosquitoes infected with bacteria that inhibit the insects’ ability to transmit the virus.
The Miami Herald reports that Florida’s surgeon general has been notified that Miami-Dade County may try using mosquitoes infected with the naturally-occurring bacteria Wolbachia.
The bacteria-carrying mosquitoes provided by the University of Kentucky can infect other, Zika-carrying mosquitoes and hinder the ability for the virus to be transmitted to humans.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved previously the limited use of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which carry Zika, in the Florida Keys and in California.
The use of these mosquitoes in fighting the spread of disease has been effective in Indonesia and Australia as part of the Eliminate Dengue Program.
Topics Pollution
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Court Ruling Could Help Shed Light on Owners of Litigation Funders, Medical Clinics 
NTSB Unclear Who Was at Controls in Jet Crash That Killed Biffle and 6 Others 
Viewpoint: Artificial Intelligence Is Rewriting the Rules for Commercial Lines 
Three Top P/C Insurers Account for Most of Insurance AI Patents 
