dengue

Could Yellow Fever be the U.S.’s Next Zika?

The yellow fever outbreak currently sweeping the jungles of Brazil could be the next Zika virus in the United States, health officials say. The Latin American country has seen an increase in the disease over the past few weeks in some of its rural areas. [1]
Health officials with the Pan American Health Organization have confirmed 371 cases of yellow fever, including 241 deaths. The group is investigating hundreds of other potential cases.

GMO Mosquito Trial Approved in the Florida Keys

On November 19, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District board voted to approve a trial of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes designed to fight the Zika virus in the Keys.
Key West Source: Tampa Bay Times
The district has been working with British biotech company Oxitec for the last 5 years to get federal approval for a trial release of the genetically engineered male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into the wild. When they mate with female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, their offspring die.

A Proposed Trial of GMO Mosquitoes Divided Voters in Florida

Residents of the Florida Keys are at odds over whether a trial of GMO mosquitoes should move forward in the area. [1]
The proposed trial would take place in Key Haven, where the people of that community voted against the mosquitoes’ release on November 8. Sixty-five percent of voters shot down the ballot measure. However, 58% of voters in Monroe County favored the test. The final decision will go to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board. [2]