WAS ZIKA OUTBREAK CAUSED BY GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOS? The release of GM mosquitos combined with Brazil's overuse of antibiotics in animal feed may have combined in unexpected ways to create this major outbreak.

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The following article is a speculative report but not without basis.  Genetic experimentation is notorious for being indifferent to the Law of Unintended consequences.   

ZIKA VIRUS

 

In spite of our human arrogance, this Earth belongs to microbes.  Microbes outnumber us, they rule over us, and they will outlast us.  I would like to encourage everyone to learn more about them, and viruses in particular. 

Viruses are ancient, mysterious, and fascinating infectious agents with unique ways for reproducing, evolving, and surviving.  

 

Although they are inert outside a host, they act as a regular life form once they invade a host (which could be another virus!). 

 

Large portions of our human genome are of viral origin.  

 

At several points in our animal ancestors' lives there were viruses that invaded them and mixed their viral genes with the genes of the animal host in symbiotic relationships that last to this day. 

 

Please read article on how humans would not exist without viral contribution to their genome.  Viruses allow for the existence of the placenta.   VIRUS MADE HUMAN EXISTENCE POSSIBLE

 

 

Zika Outbreak Epicenter In Same Area Genetically-Modified Mosquitoes Released In 2015

THE MIRROR, UK -  The Zika virus outbreak currently gripping the Americas could have been sparked by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in 2012, critics say.

 

Continue reading and see additional illustrations

 

The insects were engineered by biotechnology experts to combat the spread of dengue fever and other diseases and released into the general population of Brazil in 2012.

 

But with the World Health Organisation(WHO) now meeting in Geneva to desperately discuss cures for the Zika virus, speculation has mounted as to the cause of this sudden outbreak.

The Zika virus was first discovered in the 1950s but the recent outbreak has escalated alarmingly, causing birth defects and a range of health problems in South and central America.

 

The first cases were reported in Brazil last May with up to 1.5 million now thought people affected by the virus which is spread by mosquitoes endemic to Latin America.

 

The Aedes aegypti mosquito sub-species that carries both the Zika virus and dengue was the type targeted with genetically modified mosquitoes.

 

The aim was to release only male Aedes mosquitoes into the wild and they would in turn produce offspring with their virus carrying female counterparts.

 

This offspring would then die off before breeding age due to the GM coding in their genes.

But experts expressed concerns about the programme at the time of its inception, arguing that further studies were needed on the potential consequences.

 

On Saturday, senior health experts shockingly announced that the outbreak could pose a bigger threat to global health than the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in Africa.

 

In many ways the Zika outbreak is worse than the Ebola epidemic of 2014-15," Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome trust told The Guardian.

 

"Most virus carriers are symptomless.  It is a silent infection in a group of highly vulnerable individuals – pregnant women – that is associated with a horrible outcome for their babies.”

 

Women returning from areas where the mosquito is common are warned to postpone trying for a baby for at least a month in case they have been infected. 







Left: Baby with microcephaly. 
Right:  normal head.

ZERO HEDGE reports: 

 

Zika seemingly exploded out of nowhere.   Though it was first discovered in 1947, cases only sporadically occurred throughout Africa and southern Asia. In 2007, the first case was reported in the Pacific.

 

In 2013, a smattering of small outbreaks and individual cases were officially documented in Africa and the western Pacific. They also began showing up in the Americas. In May 2015, Brazil reported its first case of Zika virus — and the situation changed dramatically.

 

Brazil is now considered the epicenter of the Zika outbreak, which coincides with at least 4,000 reports of babies born with microcephaly just since October. 

 

When examining a rapidly expanding potential pandemic, it’s necessary to leave no stone unturned so possible solutions, as well as future prevention, will be as effective as possible. In that vein, there was another significant development in 2015.

 

OXITEC's experiment - Oxitec first unveiled its large-scale, genetically-modified mosquito farm in Brazil in July 2012, with the goal of reducing “the incidence of dengue fever,” as The Disease Daily reported.

 

Dengue fever is spread by the same Aedes mosquitoes which spread the Zika virus — and though they “cannot fly more than 400 meters,” WHO stated, “it may inadvertently be transported by humans from one place to another.”

 

By July 2015, shortly after the GM mosquitoes were first released into the wild in Juazeiro, Brazil, Oxitec proudly announced they had “successfully controlled the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads dengue fever, chikungunya and zika virus, by reducing the target population by more than 90%.”

 

Though that might sound like an astounding success — and, arguably, it was — there is an alarming possibility to consider.

 

The experiment apparently backfired.  Nature, as one Redditor keenly pointed out, finds a way — and the effort to control dengue, zika, and other viruses, appears to have backfired dramatically.

 

A scientist issued her concerns.  The particular strain of Oxitec GM mosquitoes, OX513A, are genetically altered so the vast majority of their offspring will die before they mature — though Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher published concerns in a report in September 2010 that a known survival rate of 3-4 percent warranted further study before the release of the GM insects. Her concerns, which were echoed by several other scientists both at the time and since, appear to have been ignored — though they should not have been.

 

 Aedes aegypti mosquito, carrier of the Zika virus 

 

How the experiment was supposed to work. Those genetically-modified mosquitoes work to control wild, potentially disease-carrying populations in a very specific manner. Only the male modified Aedes mosquitoes are supposed to be released into the wild — as they will mate with their unaltered female counterparts.

 Aedes aegypti
Mosquito Larva

 

Once offspring are produced, the modified, scientific facet is supposed to ‘kick in’ and kill that larvae before it reaches breeding age — if tetracycline is not present during its development. But there is a problem.

 

Brasilian farm animals are overdosed with antibiotics, particularly tetracycline.  According to an unclassified document from the Trade and Agriculture Directorate Committee for Agriculture dated February 2015, Brazil is the third largest in “global antimicrobial consumption in food animal production” — meaning, Brazil is third in the world for its use of tetracycline in its food animals.

 

As a study by the American Society of Agronomy, et. al., explained, “It is estimated that approximately 75% of antibiotics are not absorbed by animals and are excreted in waste.”

 

One of the antibiotics (or antimicrobials) specifically named in that report for its environmental persistence is tetracycline.

 

Tetracycline can repress the engineered lethality.  In fact, as a confidential internal Oxitec document divulged in 2012, that survival rate could be as high as 15% — even with low levels of tetracycline present. “Even small amounts of tetracycline can repress” the engineered lethality. Indeed, that 15% survival rate was described by Oxitec:

“After a lot of testing and comparing experimental design, it was found that [researchers] had used a cat food to feed the [OX513A] larvae and this cat food contained chicken. It is known that tetracycline is routinely used to prevent infections in chickens, especially in the cheap, mass produced, chicken used for animal food. The chicken is heat-treated before being used, but this does not remove all the tetracycline. This meant that a small amount of tetracycline was being added from the food to the larvae and repressing the [designed] lethal system.”

 

Even absent this tetracycline, as Steinbrecher explained, a “sub-population” of genetically-modified Aedes mosquitoes could theoretically develop and thrive, in theory, “capable of surviving and flourishing despite any further” releases of ‘pure’ GM mosquitoes which still have that gene intact.  

She added, “the effectiveness of the system also depends on the [genetically-designed] late onset of the lethality. If the time of onset is altered due to environmental conditions … then a 3-4% [survival rate] represents a much bigger problem…”

 

As the WHO stated in its press release, “conditions associated with this year’s El Nino weather pattern are expected to increase mosquito populations greatly in many areas.”

Incidentally, President Obama called for a massive research effort to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus, as one does not currently exist.

 

Brazil has now called in 200,000 soldiers to somehow help combat the virus’ spread. Aedes mosquitoes have reportedly been spotted in the U.K. But perhaps the most ironic — or not — proposition was proffered on January 19, by the MIT Technology Review:

“An outbreak in the Western Hemisphere could give countries including the United States new reasons to try wiping out mosquitoes with genetic engineering.

 

“Yesterday, the Brazilian city of Piracicaba said it would expand the use of genetically modified mosquitoes …

 

“The GM mosquitoes were created by Oxitec, a British company recently purchased by Intrexon, a synthetic biology company based in Maryland. The company said it has released bugs in parts of Brazil and the Cayman Islands to battle dengue fever.”

 Juazeiro, Brazil — the location where genetically-modified mosquitoes were first released into the wild.

 
 Map showing the concentration of suspected Zika-related cases of microcephaly in Brasil

WIKIPEDIA:  The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. The mosquito can be recognized by white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of the thorax.

 

The mosquito originated in Africa but is now found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.  The average wing length of female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes varies greatly (1.67–3.83 mm in Peruvian habitat).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti

 

 

  



VIROLOGY BLOG: 

Signs and Symptoms

Most individuals infected with Zika virus experience mild or no symptoms. About 25% of infected people develop symptoms 2-10 days after infection, including rash, fever, joint pain, red eyes, and headache. Recovery is usually complete and fatalities are rare.

 

Two conditions associated with Zika virus infection have made the outbreak potentially more serious. The first is development of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is progressive muscle weakness due to damage of the peripheral nervous system. The association of Guillain-Barré was first noted in French Polynesia during a 2013 outbreak.

 

Congenital microcephaly has been associated with Zika virus infection in Brazil. While there are other causes of microcephaly, there has been a surge in the number of cases during the Zika virus outbreak in that country. Whether or not Zika virus infection is responsible for this birth defect is not known.

 

One report has questioned the surge in microcephaly, suggesting that it is largely attributed to an ‘awareness’ effect.  Current epidemiological data are insufficient to prove a link of microcephaly with Zika virus infection. Needed are studies in which pregnant women are monitored to see if Zika virus infection leads to microcephaly.

Efforts to fumigate affected areas to kill the mosquito carrier

 

 

Precautions

 

Given the serious nature of Guillain-Barré and microcephaly, it is prudent for pregnant women to either avoid travel to areas that are endemic for Zika virus infection, or to take measures to reduce exposure to mosquitoes.

 

Mosquito control is the only option for restricting Zika virus infection. Measures such as wearing clothes that cover much of the body, sleeping under a bed net, and making sure that breeding sites for mosquitoes (standing water in pots and used tires) are eliminated. Reducing mosquito populations with insecticides may also help to reduce the risk of infection. 

Distribution in 2006 of Aedes aegypti (blue)

 and epidemic dengue (red)

Sources

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/zika-outbreak-caused-release-genetically-7281671
 
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-29/zika-outbreak-epicenter-same-area-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-released-2015
 
http://www.virology.ws/2016/01/28/zika-virus/
 
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti

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http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2016/01/a-virus-has-made-human-existence-and.html