Malaysia to test anti-dengue mosquitoes

Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Sunday that the country would carry out a landmark field trial by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes, designed to combat dengue fever, by the end of the year.

Liow said the delayed field trials, which were to have begun this month, were now back on track as laboratory tests had been done and the country's bio-safety board had approved the mosquitoes' release into a controlled environment.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the anti-dengue mosquito trial will take place by the end of this year," Liow told AFP. "On my side everything is clear. Now it's under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which will submit the plan to cabinet for final approval."

Malaysia's death rate from dengue fever has soared 53 percent this year, and the public is being urged to take action to eradicate the Aedes ae-gypti mosquitoes - which spread dengue - from homes and workplaces.

Liow's comments came ahead of a World Health Organization regional meeting starting today in the Malaysian capital.

In the first experiment of its kind in Asia, 2,000-3,000 male Aedes mosquitoes are to be released in two Malaysian states.

The insects in the study have been engineered so that their offspring quickly die, curbing the growth of the population in a technique that re-searchers hope could eventually eradicate the dengue mosquito altogether.

However, environmentalists are concerned that the genetically modified mosquito could fail to prevent dengue and could also have unintended consequences.

Critics said the larvae will only die if their environment is free of tetracycline, an antibiotic commonly used for medical and veterinary purposes.

AFP