Guidance framework for testing genetically modified mosquitoes, 2nd edition
Overview
Currently available methods to control mosquito vectors are based on the use of insecticides and elimination of mosquito larval breeding sites. In considering the potential of new technologies to address the unmet needs of mosquito control, it is necessary to evaluate their risks and benefits in the context of the current situation. Therefore, the risks incurred by testing new and unproven strategies should be weighed against the risks to human health and the environment posed by maintaining the status quo, which includes both ongoing disease and insecticide exposure, and by changing factors affecting mosquito abundance, such as land use and urbanization.
Genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) have been proposed as new tools to reduce the transmission of diseases such as malaria and dengue. This Guidance framework is intended to foster the quality and consistency of procedures for testing GMMs, which will contribute to the comparability of results and credibility of conclusions to support decision-making by those considering the use of GMMs as public health tools to control mosquito-borne diseases.
The Guidance framework should be useful to readers interested in:
- GMM technologies and applications that are currently being tested or contemplated;
- safety, efficacy, regulatory and social/ethical issues involved in taking GMMs from the laboratory to field testing and implementation;
- precedents for how similar issues have been dealt with to date; and
- existing regulatory frameworks and international agreements relevant to the testing and eventual implementation of GMMs.