Zika Update: FDA Approves Field Trial of Zika-Fighting GM Mosquitoes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of genetically modified mosquitoes in a field trial in Florida.

On Aug. 5, the FDA has officially given British developer Oxitec the go signal to conduct a field trial of their GM male mosquito in a small part of Florida's Key West, ruling out that the test will not have any significant impacts .

"We're really pleased to announce the FDA finished their review and has found no significant impact of the release of our mosquito on human health or the environment," Hadyn Parry, CEO of Oxitec, said in a report by CNN.

"This is especially timely, given the recent finding of Zika transmission by local mosquitoes in a Miami neighborhood."

The GM mosquito, known as OX513A, is a male Aedes aegypti mosquito genetically engineered to pass along a deadly gene to wild female mosquitoes. This gene will create a protein that interferes with cell activity, causing the mosquito to die before it reaches reproductive age.

The field trial will be conducted in Key Haven, a small neighborhood in about a mile east of Key West, and it will test OX513A's capability to control the local population of Aedes aegypti.

According to Oxitec representatives, they are expecting the same favorable results in Brazil field trials, as well as in Panama and the Cayman Islands. Last month, Oxitec reported that its GM mosquitoes have succeeded in reducing dengue cases in Brazil by 91 percent.

"Our studies show we can reduce the Aedes aegypti population by 90% over six months and keep it there by releasing small numbers of males after that. And that is very cost-effective compared to pesticides," Parry told CNN.

While FDA has given Oxitec the go signal to begin production of the GM mosquitoes, the field test plans faced resistance from residents in the trial area. A referendum will be held in November, where residents of Key Haven will vote whether the trial should push through or not. A second vote will be part of the countrywide vote, which will determine whether another neighborhood in the Keys might be willing to participate in the trial.

The first cases of local Zika transmission in the U.S. began in Miami-Dade County. Since June 15, a total of 16 people are reported to be infected by the mosquito-borne virus.