Last Updated on July 8, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A social media post claims that Bill Gates’ GMO mosquitoes are causing malaria in the USA. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False.
The Claim
In a Twitter post, a social media user alleges that genetically modified mosquitoes could be released during the summer. The user claims that Bill Gates possesses a mosquito farm where these modified insects are bred, suggesting the presence of bioweapons. The user encourages others to verify this information freely online. According to the post, it is implied that Bill Gates has the ability to exercise unrestricted control over these matters.
Fact Check
Are Bill Gates’ GMO mosquitoes causing malaria in the USA?
Not exactly. We found no evidence that confirms Bill Gates’ GMO mosquitoes are causing malaria in the USA. It seems this claim is a misinformation or conspiracy theory circulating online. During the COVID-19 pandemic, similar allegations suggested that Bill Gates has an ulterior motive in promoting vaccines. We have previously debunked the claim Bill Gates want to control the population. Through this story, we found that these allegations were baseless and lacked any truth.
On the contrary, we found evidence that the company, Oxitec in partnership with the Bill Gates Foundation, is conducting the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the USA. The purpose is to control diseases carried by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, such as Dengue fever and the Zika virus. No evidence shows that these mosquitoes are capable of transmitting malaria.
Bill Gates, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been involved in funding research and initiatives to combat malaria. One of the projects supported by the foundation is the development of genetically modified mosquitoes to help reduce the population of disease-carrying mosquitoes, mainly the Aedes aegypti species that spread diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
These genetically modified mosquitoes are designed to carry a gene that reduces the survival rate of their offspring, with the goal of reducing the overall mosquito population over time. They have been used in small-scale field trials in some countries to test their effectiveness in reducing mosquito populations.
The focus of these efforts has primarily been on regions where mosquito-borne diseases are prevalent, such as parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. Our research shows no evidence of genetically modified mosquitoes being released in the United States. Therefore, claiming that Gates’ GMO mosquitoes are causing malaria or any other mosquito-borne diseases in the USA is incorrect.
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