The Economist: Gene-ocide; the promise and peril of gene drives (should we wipe out the mosquito?)

[No Excuses]

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IN A competition to find the world’s least-loved animal, the mosquito would be hard to beat. Only a few species of the insect carry the parasites that cause human diseases such as West Nile virus, dengue and yellow fever, but the harm they cause is enormous. Malaria kills more than 400,000 people, mostly children, every year. Zika has spread to dozens of countries (see article). If species such as Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti could be eradicated, the world would surely be a better place.

Genetic engineers have already taken some steps in that direction: male A. aegyptimosquitoes that have been modified to become sterile have been released in Brazil, for example. Such approaches, controversial though they are among some greens, are limited in their impact and geographical range. A nascent technique called a “gene drive”, which could make it far easier to wipe out species, raises harder questions.

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There are other, more powerful causes for concern. One is that the impact of getting rid of a species is hard to predict. The mosquito that just fed on a person’s arm may go on to feed a swallow. The absence of one bug might lead another to thrive. However carefully scientists model the impact of gene drives, the risk of unintended consequences looms large in complex ecological systems. Another worry is that gene drives could be used for evil: a mosquito could just as well be engineered to be more suited to carrying deadly diseases, for example.

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21707211-promise-and-peril-gene-drives-gene-ocide?fsrc=scn/fb/te/pe/ed/geneocide

Pretty interesting topic. For those who don't know, the FDA approved trials of genetically engineered sterile mosquitos in the Florida Keyes but it's meeting resistance from local authorities. On the November ballot this election in the Keys, there is a nonbinding referendum vote on it.

[Kilmer17]

Sure.  What could possibly go wrong.

[Mr. Sinister]

Out of all the negatives that can be associated with wiping out most animal and insect species, I find the mosquito the most likely candidate to buck that.

 

Just an absolute pain in the ass. I'm not real big on screwing with nature, but I think we can do without them

[TheGoodBits]

Now THIS is an interested topic and condundrum that is a long time coming. 

Certainly the potential for unforeseen consequences if we wiped mosquitos off the face of the planet. We'd have to really look hard at that before making a decision. 

Here's a question to consider.... Is eradicating a small disease bearing insect fundamentally different than using technology (vaccinations) to eradicate smallpox, polio, etc? 

 

[Taylor703]

For as much as I dislike mosquitoes, playing around with Mother Nature always seems like a bad idea...

[SkinInsite]

I get a giant red welt every time from a mosquito bite because of sensitive skin, so **** them in the ear.

[No Excuses]

9 hours ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

Here's a question to consider.... Is eradicating a small disease bearing insect fundamentally different than using technology (vaccinations) to eradicate smallpox, polio, etc? 

Virus are a bit different because they technically aren't living things or major contributors to the ecosystem. If they are generally parasitic without any benefits to the host, it is a fairly easy decision to wipe them off. A more relevant example is probably bacteria, which do have symbiotically beneficial relationships with other organisms. 

With the mosquito, we don't really know how deeply intertwined they are with the ecosystem (we have good models thought) and which organisms have a beneficial relationship with them (probably none too important for us). I'm still in favor of eradicating them, while keeping normal populations stored in labs for reintroduction if things appear to go wrong.

[Xameil]

16 minutes ago, SkinInsite said:

I get a giant red welt every time from a mosquito bite because of sensitive skin, so **** them in the ear.

Why blame them for your weakness...

Toughen up pansy...

 

Ok...seriously..no matter how much of a pain they are, wiping them out completely seems like a terrible idea. There could be very bad ripple effects up the food chain if they were gone.

 

 

[HOF44]

First thought of course is what else gets wiped out that eats them. 

[zoony]

5 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

First thought of course is what else gets wiped out that eats them. 

Bats and swallows. No biggie

[twa]

anyone else here used to chase the mosquito fogging truck on their bikes?

another concern is if this causes them to evolve into bigger pests

 

DDT, I miss you

[Xameil]

14 minutes ago, zoony said:

Bats and swallows. No biggie

Hey....never diss swallows....because well...you always hope that's the answer to spits or swallows

 

And Bats? C mon....why ya gotta hate on them..they're cute.

[pjfootballer]

Species over the centuries have been wiped out and nothing catastrophic has happened.  I think the ecological system will balance itself out if there are no more mosquitoes. I think done at a slow pace allows the system to account for changes.  I think if they are progressing on a scale that more harm is being done to humans, then you may have to make a decision on what is best for the human race.  Tricky question and decision.

[Xameil]

Just now, pjfootballer said:

Species over the centuries have been wiped out and nothing catastrophic has happened.  I think the ecological system will balance itself out if there are no more mosquitoes. I think done at a slow pace allows the system to account for changes.  I think if they are progressing on a scale that more harm is being done to humans, then you may have to make a decision on what is best for the human race.  Tricky question and decision.

Ya know what happens when you slowly get rid of a species? It evolves and becomes stronger.

Mother Nature wiping something out is completely different then man doing it.

[pjfootballer]

Just now, Xameil said:

Ya know what happens when you slowly get rid of a species? It evolves and becomes stronger.

Mother Nature wiping something out is completely different then man doing it.

Well, a lot of species that have been eradicated over the years has been because of man.  Rarely has it been because of nature.

[TheGoodBits]

20 minutes ago, zoony said:

Bats and swallows. No biggie

Just African swallows though, unladen European swallows would be fine.

[Xameil]

7 minutes ago, pjfootballer said:

Well, a lot of species that have been eradicated over the years has been because of man.  Rarely has it been because of nature.

And I don't think we fully know the ramifications of species that have been eradicated. It's a rippling effect

[mcsluggo]

**** yes.   kill them all.   kill the gnats and poison ivy with them, while you are at it.  

[Kilmer17]

1 hour ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

Just African swallows though, unladen European swallows would be fine.

Oh sure, African swallows maybe...

[Renegade7]

2 hours ago, Xameil said:

Ok...seriously..no matter how much of a pain they are, wiping them out completely seems like a terrible idea. There could be very bad ripple effects up the food chain if they were gone.

 

I'll agree with you only if the evidence can be put forth to support that.  Research should be done on where they fit in the food chain of these different ecosystems and make the decision not on whether its perfect, but whether the ecosystem will collapse without them (which I doubt it will).  

[Xameil]

51 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

I'll agree with you only if the evidence can be put forth to support that.  Research should be done on where they fit in the food chain of these different ecosystems and make the decision not on whether its perfect, but whether the ecosystem will collapse without them (which I doubt it will).  

Pffft. I'm sure you'd say the same thing about humpback whales too if they were the slightest nuisance to you...just ask Captain Kirk and Spock what happens when they are extinct....

 

[BornaSkinsFan83]

2 hours ago, mcsluggo said:

**** yes.   kill them all.   kill the gnats and poison ivy with them, while you are at it.  

Poison ivy and ticks are proof that there is no God.

[Renegade7]

14 minutes ago, Xameil said:

Pffft. I'm sure you'd say the same thing about humpback whales too if they were the slightest nuisance to you...just ask Captain Kirk and Spock what happens when they are extinct....

 

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Really, bro?

 

The threat Zika presents to the Human Species is on a level our legislative branch may not consider a priority, but it absolutely is a threat.  And if we're lucky to get past this one, there will be another one.  Not if, but when.

[Xameil]

Guess some people have no humor

Just because you can't see a reason for a mosquito now, does not mean it doesn't have its place in this world. 

Getting rid of an entire species is bad no matter how you try and rationalize it.

 

19 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

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Really, bro?

 

The threat Zika presents to the Human Species is on a level our legislative branch may not consider a priority, but it absolutely is a threat.  And if we're lucky to get past this one, there will be another one.  Not if, but when.

You make it sound like the bubonic plague....

Calm down sheesh.

[Renegade7]

15 minutes ago, Xameil said:

Guess some people have no humor

Just because you can't see a reason for a mosquito now, does not mean it doesn't have its place in this world. 

Getting rid of an entire species is bad no matter how you try and rationalize it.

 

You make it sound like the bubonic plague....

Calm down sheesh.

 

Couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic, but ya, Zika is being underestimated by people who have the ability to address it.  This isn't like the ebola outbreak where we could just shake our head from the sideline until those African countries just flat out admitted they were going to lose unless they got more help.  This is already in Puerto Rico and Miami.