Headline: "Genetically modified mosquitoes released in U.S. for first time."
You might think: Ah, gee, can you just not? Don't you watch movies? Don't you know how this goes? It starts with a scientist on a chat show, talking about how they've made some clever alteration to mosquitoes, and then the plot jumps ahead two years, and we hear a newsreader on TV:
"Scientists say that the May-to-October lockdown may become a permanent feature of modern life, unless genetic engineering finds a way to diminish the rage of the so-called 'Murder Skeeter,' or 'Winged Piranha,' a fearsome insect that swarms in thick clouds and can drain a cow dry in 30 seconds.
"For now, only essential workers are allowed outside in the mosquito season, and they must wear full protective gear and carry flamethrowers. Yet indoors may not be safe. Some reports indicate that Murder Skeeters can form dense shapes and batter at windows in an attempt to get inside."
Then there's a crash and screams and 100 mosquitoes the size of corgi dogs stream into the studio, impaling the cameraman. The picture cuts out.
You might say I am fearmongering. No. I deliberately used "corgi dog" as a size reference because, admit it, you saw adorable little dogs flying around, didn't you? If I wanted to monger fear, I would be bleating about Frankenskeeters! But I am not. Yet.
Here's what's going on: A company called Oxitec fiddled around with the genetic code of male mosquitoes, inserting some tricky instructions that get handed off to mom mosquito during mating. This code is passed on to the female offspring, who are unable to thrive. The descendants become decedents.
Will it work? It's worked in other countries, they said, and we don't hear stories from Brazil about people being carried off by genetically enhanced mosquitoes. But I suspect nature will adapt. Female mosquitoes will be able to detect the fatal gene, just like female humans can detect Axe cologne and adjust their mating accordingly.
