Just Three Bacteria-Infected Female Mosquitoes Released Can Cause Population Replacement

Lab-altered female mosquitoes that bite, breed, and spread disease are being released in Hawai‘i. The sorting process is imperfect, and the potential impacts are significant.

The multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) is currently releasing millions of bacteria-infected mosquitoes on the island of Maui, and they’ve already expanded the experiment to target the next island of Kaua‘i. The agencies pushing this dangerous plan have repeatedly lied about the details of their biotech insect agenda and are downplaying the very serious risks involved.

Not only has BNM been making conflicting statements about the release of biting female mosquitoes, but they have brushed off concerns regarding population replacement of wild mosquitoes with the lab-altered mosquitoes. Rather than doing any of the comprehensive studies needed to properly assess the potential significant impacts of the plan, BNM agencies have instead put their own interests above the health and voice of our islands and have railroaded this project through with no regard for the effects it may have on the people, wildlife, and ‘āina. It’s clear that their priority is the cash cow of funding that continues to roll in for advancing these reckless mosquito experiments.

The documented science that is being ignored by these agencies shows that the consequences of unleashing these insects into our environment could be catastrophic.

Sex separation techniques for these lab-altered mosquitoes are not 100 percent effective and are still in the research and development phase. The mis-sorting and accidental release of females is inevitable. While BNM’s propaganda campaign misleads our community with false statements that only male mosquitoes are being released, the agencies’ own documents reveal the truth. EPA guidelines allow for the release of one female for every 250,000 males. The plan for East Maui is to release up to 775,992,000 Wolbachia-bacteria-infected southern house mosquitoes weekly, which means that 3,103 infected females that bite, breed, and spread disease are allowed to be let loose on the island every week.

One female can produce 160,000 more females through breeding of the generations in her eight-week lifespan. A 2021 scientific article reporting on a study of Wolbachia-bacteria-infected mosquito releases in Singapore concluded that as few as three females accidentally released can cause the lab-strain-infected mosquitoes to successfully breed and establish a population.

“These results demonstrate the potential for Wolbachia establishment in field populations due to imperfect sex-sorting.”

“This suggests that even with high-fidelity sorting, inadvertent release of a few fertile females can lead to stable establishment of Wolbachia in the field, given the lack of competition from the nearly eliminated wildtype population.”

“Our data further show that when the wildtype mosquito population is suppressed to very low levels—possibly close to elimination, as in the Tampines core—release of even a few fertile wAlbB-SG females could result in establishment of wAlbB in the field population. This threshold may be as low as three individuals, the minimum number of wAlbB-SG females we believe were released in the Tampines core during Phase 2.”

If the lab-altered mosquitoes released here in Hawai‘i are able to breed, the mosquito population can be overtaken by these experimental mosquitoes. Peer-reviewed studies show that Wolbachia bacteria can cause increased pathogen infection in mosquitoes and increased disease-transmitting capability. The agencies involved here have not even taken the time to study whether the southern house mosquitoes infected in the lab with the specific strain of bacteria used could cause them to become more capable of spreading diseases to people or animals – a very real possibility that puts the health of these islands at risk.

Southern house mosquitoes transmit human diseases, including West Nile virus (WNV), elephantiasis, encephalitis, and potentially Zika virus. They transmit diseases to animals, including WNV, encephalitis, heartworm, avian malaria, and avian pox. BNM has officially stated that released females “present no more risk to humans or animals than the mosquitoes that currently occur on Maui.” The reality is that they have not done any of the studies needed to make such a claim. It is unconscionable that this project has been allowed to move forward without scientific research into the disease-transmitting effects this bacterium may have on these mosquitoes. Pathogen screenings of these imported mosquitoes are also unknown, and that information is being withheld from the public.

In addition to the risks of female release, there are concerns about horizontal transmission of the foreign bacteria to wild females. Peer-reviewed studies show that Wolbachia bacteria can survive in the environment outside the host mosquito for several months and can transmit through shared feeding sites and serial predation. It can even transmit through mating. If the wild females become infected with the foreign bacteria, this would essentially create lab-strain females in the wild that would be compatible with the lab-strain males for breeding, adding to the potential for population replacement.

Hawai‘i Unites has taken the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (proposing agency for the project) and its Board (approving agency for the project) to court to stop these mosquito releases. At our Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction hearing, tropical disease and vector expert Dr. Lorrin Pang testified as our witness about the risks of this mosquito release project causing population replacement, referred to as a “sweep”:

“Sweep means that the Wolbachia takes over all your mosquitoes, a high percentage. Now, it might be a lower number but it's a high percentage, so it dominates your mosquitoes.”

When asked by our attorney if it’s possible that a Wolbachia sweep could cause increased virus transmission in humans, Pang responded, “It's possible. West Nile Virus.” He was referring to the 2014 peer-reviewed study Wolbachia Enhances West Nile Virus (WNV) Infection in the Mosquito Culex tarsalis. To date, no studies have been done by BNM to determine if Wolbachia enhances human disease transmission, including WNV infection, in the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) being released on Maui.

The method of mosquito suppression being used for these releases on Maui and Kaua‘i is called the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT). The World Mosquito Program documents known issues with the IIT method, such as:

• Not self-sustaining

• Need to release a very large number of male mosquitoes

• Need to continually release large amounts of mosquitoes

• Mosquito-release period is indefinite otherwise population will rebound

With very large numbers of mosquitoes continually released over an indefinite period of time (likely at least 20 years and potentially into perpetuity), the chances of at least three females being released seem highly probable. All it might take is as few as three to cause a sweep of the mosquito population. What if those lab-strain mosquitoes are more capable of transmitting diseases? The effects could be devastating.

Hawai‘i Unites is seeking a ruling in court to require an Environmental Impact Statement with comprehensive studies of the risks and potential significant impacts of the mosquito release project on Maui, ground zero for this dangerous experiment. We have a strong case that can set a precedent here in Hawai‘i and globally.

We’re in the appeals process working to get this case to trial. You can help us continue challenging these mosquito releases in court by making a tax-deductible donation to support the work that we’re doing.

Mahalo,
Tina Lia
Founder
Hawai‘i Unites
HawaiiUnites.org

Hawai‘i Unites is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of our environment and natural resources. Your tax-deductible donations help us to fulfill our mission of honoring and protecting our sacred connection to the natural world.

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