of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. I realize that sentence

數百萬只轉基因蚊子在佛羅里達群島。我知道這句話

had a lot of scary buzzwords: mosquitoes, genetically modified, Florida. So, what's

有很多可怕的流行語： 蚊子，轉基因，佛羅里達州。那麼，什麼是

the plan here, why are we doing this, and what are the potential risks?

這裡的計劃，我們為什麼要這樣做，有什麼潛在的風險？

Mosquitoes are more than just irritating pests that cause itchy bumps and make me dread going

蚊子不僅僅是惱人的害蟲，造成癢癢的疙瘩，讓我害怕去。

outside. They are also considered the deadliest animals in the world. The diseases they carry

外。它們也被認為是世界上最致命的動物。它們攜帶的疾病

run the gamut from malaria to yellow fever, and their bites cause at least hundreds of

從瘧疾到黃熱病，它們的叮咬至少會造成數百人死亡。

thousands of deaths each year. Sharks, by comparison, kill about 4 people annually.

每年死亡數千人。相比之下，鯊魚每年大約會殺死4人。

One mosquito species in particular, Aedes aegypti, can spread several diseases like

尤其是一種蚊子，埃及伊蚊，可以傳播幾種疾病，如

dengue, zika, and yellow fever and is considered a serious threat to public health. So much

登革熱、寨卡和黃熱病，並被認為是對公眾健康的嚴重威脅。這麼多

so that the Florida Keys Mosquito Control throws over $1 million dollars and six pesticide

以致於佛羅里達群島蚊子防治投下100多萬美元和6種殺蟲劑。

spraying aircraft at them each year. Despite eating up about a tenth of their budget, these

每年向他們噴灑飛機。儘管耗費了其預算的十分之一，但這些

efforts only reduce the Aedes aegypti population by 30 to 50%.

這些努力只能減少30-50%的伊蚊數量。

So, years ago the local government came to the conclusion that they couldn't go on

所以，多年前，當地政府得出的結論是，他們不能再繼續下去了。

spraying their way out of trouble, and in 2012 they contacted the company Oxitec. At

噴霧的方式來擺脫困境，2012年他們聯繫了奧克西特公司。在

the time, Oxitec was developing a genetically modified male Aedes aegypti mosquito designated

當時，Oxitec正在開發一種轉基因的雄性伊蚊，命名為

OX513A that would die before it reached adulthood – unless it developed in water containing

OX513A在成年之前就會死亡--除非它在含水的水中發育。

the antibiotic tetracycline. The thinking was if these males matured in a lab and were

的抗生素四環素。他們的想法是，如果這些雄性在實驗室裡成熟，並且是

then turned loose in the wild, they would mate and their offspring would inherit the

然後在野外放生，它們會交配，而它們的後代會繼承這個家族的血統

modified genes and die in antibiotic-free standing water when they hatched.

改造了基因，孵化時死在無抗生素的常水裡。

Starting in 2009, Oxitec's mosquitoes began testing in the Cayman Islands, Panama, and

從2009年開始，Oxitec的蚊子開始在開曼群島、巴拿馬和澳洲進行測試。

Brazil. But there were concerns about whether mosquitoes bred to survive only in the presence

巴西。但有人擔心蚊子是否只在有蚊子的情況下才會繁殖生存。

of antibiotics would spread antibiotic resistant bacteria. Others were worried about the consequences

抗生素的使用會使抗生素抗藥性細菌擴散。另一些人則擔心後果

of some offspring surviving and passing on their modified genes. There's a chance the

一些後代存活下來並傳遞他們的改良基因。有一個機會

offspring could survive if they hatched close to places like sewage treatment plants and

如果它們在汙水處理廠等地方附近孵化，它們的後代可以生存下來。

citrus orchards where antibiotics can accumulate. In the last few years, Oxitec has developed

柑橘果園，抗生素可能會在那裡積累。在過去的幾年裡，Oxitec 開發了

a new male mosquito that circumvents the issue of antibiotics. The updated breed, known by

一種新的雄性蚊子，可以規避抗生素的問題。這種更新的品種，被稱為

the designation OX5034, mates with wild females as before. But instead of the offspring all

命名為OX5034，與野生雌鳥交配如前。但後代不是全部

dying off, only the females die young. The male descendants that inherit the mutation

死掉，只有雌性會夭折。繼承該突變的雄性後代。

can reach adulthood, mate, and continue the femicide for generations.

可以達到成年，交配，並繼續殺害女性世代。

Oxitec claims the total number of modified males will decrease from one generation to

Oxitec公司聲稱，改造後的雄性動物總數將從一代減少到另一代。

the next, eventually disappearing from the population altogether after 10 generations.

下，最終在10代後完全從人口中消失。

In case you were wondering, the lifespan of an adult Aedes aegypti mosquito is between

如果你想知道，一隻成年埃及伊蚊的壽命是介於1-2年之間。

two weeks to over a month. So, why are they targeting the female mosquitoes

兩個星期到一個多月。那麼，他們為什麼要針對雌性蚊子呢？

in particular? Well, it's because male mosquitoes don't bite humans; instead, they can subsist

特別是?嗯，這是因為雄性蚊子不會叮咬人類，相反，它們可以以人類為生。

off nectar. Only females draw blood because their eggs need it to mature, meaning that

關閉花蜜。只有雌性才會抽血，因為它們的卵需要血來成熟，這意味著

females are the ones who can spread disease. That's why Oxitec's plan to release 750

女性是可以傳播疾病的人。這就是為什麼Oxitec計劃發佈750個...

million mosquitoes into the Florida keys isn't as counterproductive as it sounds. They'll

百萬只蚊子進入佛羅里達州的鑰匙 是不是適得其反，因為它的聲音。他們會

all be male, so the company isn't letting swarms of bloodsuckers loose on all of us.

都是男的，所以公司不會讓成群的吸血蟲放任我們所有人。

Still, scientists have voiced concerns. Independent analysis of Oxitec's early trials in Brazil

不過，科學家們還是表示了擔憂。對Oxitec在巴西的早期試驗進行了獨立分析。

with their antibiotic-dependent strain, showed that some offspring survived and mated again,

與他們的抗生素依賴性品系，顯示一些後代存活並再次交配。

passing on genes to the local mosquitoes. The genes that were passed on weren't the

把基因傳給當地的蚊子。傳遞的基因並不是... ...

transgenes that would kill offspring though, just markers that came from the Cuban and

但會殺死後代的轉基因，只是來自古巴和的標記。

Mexican mosquitoes Oxitec bred to create their homme fatales. Oxitec thinks concerns are

墨西哥蚊子Oxitec培育出他們的homme fatales。Oxitec公司認為擔心的是

overstated, saying they found about 3% of offspring in lab trials were viable.

誇大其詞，說他們在實驗室試驗中發現大約3%的後代是可行的。

The company also claims there's no evidence that cross breeding strains would make the

該公司還聲稱，沒有證據表明雜交育種菌株會使。

mosquitoes more harmful to humans or resistant to insecticides. But some scientists are worried

蚊子對人類危害更大，或對殺蟲劑有抗性。但一些科學家擔心

making the gene pool more varied with DNA from other world regions would create hardier

讓來自世界其他地區的DNA在基因庫中更加多樣化，將創造出更強壯的生命力。

bugs. Others are also concerned that killing off

蟲子。也有人擔心，殺死

large numbers of Aedes aegypti could affect the local ecosystem and the animals that feed

大量的埃及伊蚊可能會影響當地的生態系統和飼養的動物。

on mosquitoes. But Aedes aegypti represent 1% of the Florida Keys mosquito population,

蚊子。但埃及伊蚊只佔佛羅里達群島蚊子數量的1%。

and are likely an invasive species that came to the Americas by ship.

並很可能是一種入侵物種，通過船隻來到美洲。

This latest release is also not something that has been decided on a whim; the EPA has

最新發布的這一消息也不是一時興起才決定的，環保局有

spent years studying the impacts that Oxitec's mosquitoes have on human and environmental

花了多年時間研究Oxitec的蚊子對人類和環境的影響。

health, and seven Florida state agencies have given the latest trial unanimous approval.

健康，而佛羅里達州的7個州級機構也給予了最新試驗的一致認可。

The antibiotic-resistant mosquito variety was also assessed by the FDA and in 2016,

抗生素抗性的蚊子品種也被FDA評估，並在2016年。

they found it would have no significant negative impact. This second generation genetically

他們發現它不會產生重大的負面影響。這第二代基因

modified mosquito has also already been tested in Brazil, where it temporarily reduced the

改良後的蚊子也已經在巴西進行了測試，在那裡它暫時減少了蚊子的數量。

Aedes aegypti population by as much as 96%. Though the idea of intentionally releasing

埃及伊蚊的數量高達96%。雖然故意釋放的想法

millions of lab-grown mosquitoes may sound like the plot of a B-grade horror movie to

數百萬只實驗室培養的蚊子，聽起來像是B級恐怖片的情節。

some, lots of research and care has been put into their development. And remember: their

一些，大量的研究和關懷已經投入到他們的發展。記住：他們的

release into the wild is another phase in their testing. If the releases prove ineffective

釋放到野外是他們測試的另一個階段。如果證明放生無效

or harmful, plans for more widespread use can be nixed. Come 2021 — or 2022 — we'll

或有害，更廣泛使用的計劃可以被取消。到了2021年--或者2022年--我們將。

see if they can help fight the spread of disease and reduce the need to spray pesticides over

看看它們是否能幫助對抗疾病的傳播，並減少對農藥噴灑的需求。

the Florida Keys.

佛羅里達群島。

While Florida has gotten all the attention, Oxitec has also gotten approval to release

在佛羅里達州受到關注的同時，Oxitec公司也獲得了準許，發佈了 "Oxitec "品牌。

their little buzzers in Texas. While some are growing mosquitoes in a lab, others are

他們的小嗡嗡聲在得克薩斯州。有些人在實驗室裡養蚊子，有些人則在實驗室裡養蚊子

trying to grow a tasty steak. Check out my video on the progress of lab-grown meat here!

試圖種出美味的牛排。請看我的視頻，這裡是實驗室種肉的進展!

So do you think Oxitec and the EPA have done enough research,

那麼你認為Oxitec和環保局是否做了足夠的研究。

or do you think that this tech isn't ready yet? Let us know in the comments, subscribe for

還是你認為這項技術還沒有準備好？請在評論中告訴我們，訂閱

more science news, and I'll see you next time on Seeker.

更多科學新聞，我們下次在探索者節目中再見。