The mosquito-born Zika virus has been in the news lately. Scientists now say there’s a definitive link between the virus and birth defects in children. South America has become the epicenter of the outbreak,
but it has spread to the U.S., with more than 30 states including Florida, reporting cases of infection. President Obama is pushing Congress for funding to find ways to counteract the virus, and the race is on to beat it back. Now some companies say they have a solution—kill off the mosquito. But what would such a move mean for the ecosystems they inhabit? And what role, aside from spreading diseases, do mosquitos have? That conversation is coming up ahead on It’s About Florida.
Guests: Haydn Parry, CEO of Oxitec
Dr. Lambert Kanga, Center for Biological Control, Florida A&M University