The United Kingdom-based biotech company Oxitec will soon announce the test locations and timetable for releasing its genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
The test involves releasing lab-reared Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species of mosquito commonly found in the Keys that can carry dengue fever, Zika and chikungunya.
There could be small specific release sites that will be spread throughout the Keys, Oxitec spokeswoman Meredith Fensom said. Not one small defined area of neighborhood may be able to accommodate the test, she said.
The project, which is being done in partnership with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, will be split into two projects, A and B. Project A will be one small box in one neighborhood. That project will allow Oxitec to test efficacy of a potential mosquito control product that citizens could buy at hardware store and use in their own backyard, Fensom said.