Zika Virus: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Requested for Pinellas

PALM HARBOR, FL — Several Pinellas County lawmakers have joined forces to ask the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for emergency authorization to allow the use of genetically modified mosquitoes in Pinellas to help kill off the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito should the need arise.

The bipartisan group of state, federal and county lawmakers sent a letter to Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell Friday.

“As representatives of the nearly one million residents of Pinellas County, we want to ensure that our county has every tool at its disposal to combat a potential spread of the virus,” the letter sent by state Rep. Chris Sprowls' office reads.

See also: Locally Transmitted Zika Virus Confirmed in Pinellas

Specifically, the group is asking for permission to use non-biting male mosquitoes that have been modified to pass along a gene that kills offspring when they mate with female mosquitoes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a trial related to the altered mosquitoes in Monroe County, but that trial has yet to begin.

In approving the trial, the FDA said the proposed project “would have no significant impact on the environment,” the letter noted. “While the FDA’s findings indicate there will be no significant environmental impact, there is evident indicating the proposed field test could be up to 99% effective in eliminating the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the Zika virus.”

The trial in Key West has been on hold because residents there have issued concerns about the impacts, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Pinellas County needs an emergency order to be able to use the mosquito technology before that trial is completed.

Asking for permission doesn't necessarily mean Pinellas County would use the genetically modified mosquitoes, Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican, told Patch.

"The ideal situation is that we don't need to do anything further because there is no spread," Sprowls said. Lawmakers just want to make certain Pinellas County is poised to act should more locally acquired cases be reported.

"We all know how long the federal government can take," Sprowls said. "We just can't afford the red tape."

Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday confirmed the first locally transmitted Zika virus case in Pinellas County. State officials do not believe that active transmission of the virus is taking place in Pinellas County. Even so, they've begun "door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County," a statement from the governor's office said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne illness that presents with a fever, joint pain and rash. The illness typically goes away within a week, but some cases may require hospitalization. Zika may also be spread through sexual contact, health officials say.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the Zika virus is responsible for causing severe defects in unborn children, including microcephaly, which leaves babies with abnormally small heads and often with brains that do not develop properly.

The CDC recommends women who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant postpone travel to areas where there is widespread Zika infection.

“We owe it to the citizens of Pinellas County to do everything we can to avail ourselves of all the tools available to combat this virus,” Sprowls said in a statement. “Our goal is to give our county commission the ability to make that decision unencumbered by Federal bureaucratic red-tape. Should an outbreak of Zika occur in our county, our elected officials should be able to utilize the most effective ways to not only contain the virus but eliminate it.”

Elected officials who have signed the letter along with Sprowls are Congressman David Jolly, state Senators Jack Latvala and Jeff Brandes, state Representatives Larry Ahern, James Grant, Latvala, Kathleen Peters and Darryl Rouson, as well as Pinellas County Commissioners Charlie Justice, Dave Eggers, Janet Long, John Morroni, Pat Gerard, Karen Seel and Kenneth Welch.

It is unclear how soon the federal government will respond to the request.

“Families and soon-to-be mothers in Pinellas County have enough to worry about, without having to fear this virus,” Sprowls said. “If we have the ability to combat the spread of these mosquitoes with an incredibly high success rate, we need to make sure we have that tool ready the moment it is needed.”

To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state of Florida has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline at 1-855-622-6735. More information may also be found on the FDOH website.

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