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Scientists in Brazil are preparing to release millions of factory-bred mosquitoes in an attempt to wipe out tropical diseases.
British firm Oxitec says its genetically modified mosquitoes will swarm in among ordinary species such as Aedes aegypti, the insect that carries feared diseases such as Zika, dengue and yellow fever.
The test tube mosquitoes method is to have sex and then die, spawning babies with a genetically inbuilt flaw that causes them to die quickly.
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With their work done, the modified father mosquitoes will then give up the ghost themselves – as they are genetically programmed to do.
Oxitec says its factory in the town of Piracicaba, northwest of Sao Paulo, can produce 60 million mutant mosquitoes a week.
Piracicaba is the world’s ‘first and biggest factory’ of genetically modified mosquitos, claims Oxitec president Hadyn Parry.
He said: “This is the only place where we have a factory like this. We can use this as a hub for Brazil.”
Currently the company’s only Brazilian customer is the city of Piracicaba. Parry added: “We are having conversations with several municipalities and states.”
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