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A recent claim about a Bill Gates-financed farm responsible for the modification of malaria-causing mosquitoes went viral online. According to the viral claim, Bill backed a disease-control initiative that involved releasing mosquitoes in the U.S., which are genetically modified. It also held the billionaire responsible for the rising cases of malaria in Texas and Florida.
On June 28, 2023, Twitter user Luke Rudkowski claimed the same in his tweet. Since the, it has gone viral, raising questions about whether or not Bill Gates is truly financing such a venture that is causing serious harm to the general public.
Luke stated in his tweet that Bill Gates was releasing "GMO mosquitoes" in the aforementioned U.S. states, which never had mosquitoes that gave people malaria. However, a readers' context was added to his tweet to debunk the viral claim. According to it, these mosquitoes with modified genes are incapable of spreading any disease.
It further mentioned that only female mosquitoes bite animals and humans to drink blood, while GMO mosquitoes die before they even reach adulthood. The context also noted that these mosquitoes were released in New York State's Monroe County, which is 160 miles away from the area where the malaria cases were detected. However, none of these mosquitoes was released in Florida or Texas.
Bill Gates' foundation did not fund malaria-spreading mosquito release
It was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the United States had recorded five cases of malaria being spread by mosquitoes in the past two months. This marked the first time in 20 years for a local spread. One case was detected in Texas, while the other four in Florida.
As the claim went viral, people started blaming Bill Gates. Many suggested that the billionaire might already have a vaccine ready. While the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has indeed funded the combat against malaria, they did not provide funding for any work involving malaria-spreading mosquito releases in the United States.
Bill Gates’ foundation rendered financial aid to the biotech company Oxitec, which has been responsible for releasing GMO mosquitoes in Florida. It was a part of their disease-control venture.
Regardless, the company, as well as experts, said that the notion that Oxitec’s work is to blame for the malaria cases is impossible. They reasoned that the modified mosquitoes are not the kind that transmits the disease. Joshua Van Raalte, a spokesperson from Oxitec, said:
“There is absolutely no truth to these claims. They are scientifically impossible.”
The key purpose behind releasing these male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with modified genes was to combat insect-borne diseases, including dengue fever and illness from the Zika virus.
Oxitec’s intent was to have the GMO male insects mate with female mosquitoes to pass on a genetic change in one of their proteins, making newly born female mosquitoes unable to survive. Thus, it would reduce the female mosquito population that usually transmits malaria.
A biology professor from the University of Notre Dame Nora Besansky, who also specializes in mosquitoes, affirmed that these male Aedes aegypti cannot transmit malaria. A smaller part of Anopheles mosquitoes are the kind responsible for transmitting malaria among humans.
