Goodbye mosquito.

Adam Hart discusses the possibilities of making mosquitos extinct and the advantages of doing so. Joe Conlan of the American Mosquito Control Association discusses mosquito related deaths in relation to woman and children. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the only carrier of deadly viruses such as dengue fever, malaria, and the new Zika virus. Professor Uriel Kitron introduces the taxonomic specificities of the insect; the ability to live in urban spaces, move from one place to another, and life cycle in tandem with the virus carried. These features are discussed as potential windows of opportunity to control mosquitos. The environmental impact of mosquitos is vast and environmental debates have arisen concerning extermination of an entire species. Perhaps the Aedes Aegypti mosquito is a valuable cog in the eco-system? Haydn Parry and Simon Warner, a researcher at Oxitec Lab for insect control, talk about the process of genetic modification of the mosquito that would impede the spread of mosquito borne diseases by limiting their reproductive cycle: ‘the self-limiting gene’. The U.K is one of the leaders in developing technology to combat and manage mosquito spread viruses by laboratories at Oxitec and researchers at Imperial College, London. Professor of Engineering Systems and Political Science at M. I. T., Ken Oye, provides an ethical perspective regarding the malicious effects or use with intent that these technologies could potentially lead to. Hart notes the public support for the eradication of the mosquito.