What is actually killing the mosquito larvae/what genetic modification has been made?
The gene that has been introduced into the mosquito inhibits the cell’s ability to function normally. This means that all the progeny die at the larval stage, making the male ‘sterile’. When a ‘sterile’ male mates with a wild (non sterile) female all the progeny will inherit this gene and none will survive. This approach is not toxic but it stops the larvae from developing so no adult mosquito emerges. It works only by inheritance and does not affect other insects, or predators such as fish or birds that might eat a mosquito.
