Yahoo News 4 Jan 11;
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia has delayed a landmark field trial to release genetically modified mosquitoes designed to combat dengue fever, an official said Tuesday, following protests from environmentalists.
In the first experiment of its kind in Asia, 4,000-6,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were originally scheduled to be released by last month in a bid to fight dengue, which killed at least 134 people last year in Malaysia alone.
The insects have been engineered so that their offspring quickly die, curbing the growth of the population in a technique researchers hope could eventually eradicate the dengue mosquito altogether. Females of the Aedes species are responsible for spreading dengue.
The trial however prompted widespread concern among environmental groups, which asked the government to call off the tests, saying the GM mosquito could fail to prevent dengue and have unintended consequences.
A senior official from the Biosafety Department told AFP that the trial, which was to be carried out in two Malaysian states, has been postponed pending further discussion with residents in the trial areas.
"There are a lot of protests. We are now aiming to carry out the trial in the first half of 2011," said Mohamed Mohamad Salleh, the department's director of research and evaluation.
"The (health authorities) must get approval from the residents in those areas where the residents will be affected. If it is uninhabited site, approval must be granted by state government officers," he said.
Mohamed added that public forums will be held to explain the trial. The Environment Ministry has said it received more than 30 responses from local and international groups on the controversial trial.
Two weeks ago, 22 non-government organisations on public health and the environment wrote an open letter to the government asking it to cancel the trial and "instead invest in safer approaches to addressing dengue".
"While dengue is a very serious problem in Malaysia and needs to be urgently addressed, going down the GM path takes us into risky territory. Genetic engineering often results in unintended effects," the letter said.
"We do not know enough about the GM mosquitoes and how their interactions with non-GM mosquitoes in the wild, other species in the ecosystem, the dengue virus and human populations, will be affected."
Authorities have dismissed the fears and said the trial would be harmless as the GM mosquitoes could only live for a few days.
Dengue infection leads to a sudden onset of fever with severe headaches, muscle and joint pains, and rashes, which can lead to death if left untreated.
Weather delays mosquito release
Azura Abas The Star 5 Jan 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: The genetically modified (GM) male mosquitoes will be released into designated forests in Malacca and Pahang soon, said Biosafety Department director-general Letchumanan Ramanatha.
He said the exercise could not be carried out last month as scheduled because of the weather factor.
He denied claims that the delay was because of protests from some quarters. He was responding to a report yesterday, saying that Malaysia had delayed the release of between 4,000 and 6,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes following protests from environmentalists.
Malaysia has decided to combat dengue using GM mosquitoes after looking at the increasing number of cases of dengue fever that led to fatalities.
A total of 38,330 people have been infected with dengue between January and October last year with 117 deaths.
There were 32,560 cases and 72 deaths in the same period in 2009.
"To gauge the effectiveness of using such mosquitoes, we have to observe them in their natural environment and not only in labs.
"We have to collect the data for us to decide the next course of action. Without data, we cannot progress scientifically," Letchumanan said yesterday.
Meanwhile, a Malaysia Nature Society spokesperson said the authority must exercise great caution in the GM mosquito project.
"It cannot be done hastily and strict protocols must be followed before releasing these mosquitoes."
He added that the people, who were the stakeholders, must be educated about GM mosquitoes and dengue so they could decide whether to be subjected to such researches.
Reports had been saying environmentalists were sceptical about the GM mosquitoes out of fear of possible irreversible impact it would have on the environment and the eco-system.
Rain delays release of genetically-modified mosquitoes
The Star 6 Jan 11;
PETALING JAYA: Last month’s rainy season resulted in the delay of genetically-modified (GM) Aedes aegypti mosquitoes being released in Bentong and Alor Gajah, said a senior official from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
Dr Mohamed Mohamad Salleh denied the postponement had anything to do with protests from 23 local non-governmental organisations who sent an open letter last month protesting the plan to release these mosquitoes.
“The field trial has already been approved by the Government and we can start anytime. We are just waiting for a more suitable time,” said Dr Mohamed, who is director of research and evaluation at the Biosafety Department.
The trial has attracted international concern and 87 international civil society organisations signed a petition urging Malaysian authorities to reconsider their decision.
“As an NGO, we are very concerned and object to the release of GM mosquitoes,” said Lim Li Ching from Third World Network.
She urged the Government to discuss the matter with the local community as well as NGOs.
“There are many less risky ways to deal with dengue. GM mosquitoes are not the way to go,” said Lim.
