Oxitec is coming for California: A call to action!

Leave a comment for CDPR: Say NO to CrispR-engineered mosquitos by 12/15/24!!

Nov 19, 2024

Leave your public comment STAT! You have until December 15th. Do NOT delay!!
You are ALL WELCOME to copy/paste ANY PART OF MY email of OPPOSITION!

HERE IS THE LINK TO COMMENT ON CDPR’s WEBSITE:

https://cdpr.commentinput.com/?id=DiQgjATuF

Bottom line: We need as many Californians as possible to get this message across: “WE DO NOT WANT OXITEC’S INSECTS IN CALIFORNIA.” “WE ARE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST THE RELEASE OF OXITEC’S CRISPR ENGINEERED MOSQUITOES NOW, ALWAYS, AND FOREVER.”

We all know what’s really coming down the pipeline: MORE DISEASE and possible unwanted vaccinations via mosquito-bites. From the Epoch Times:

Please feel free to use any part of my comment for CDPR. What matters is that YOU OPPOSE any and all GE insect releases:

I vehemently OPPOSE any and all proposals seeking to release genetically engineered insects into California.

1. Oxitec already has a history of these “Friendly” Aedes mosquito releases for the past decade, and NONE of these experiments led to a DECREASE in mosquito-borne infections. For example:

Oxitec released GE Mosquitoes in Brazil in 2016. The stated goal was to reduce the Aedes mosquito population. By 2019, the rate of Dengue infections increased by 600% in Brazil.

“The number of dengue virus infections in Brazil has gone up 600% in 2019.” https://www.dw.com/en/brazils-fight-against-dengue-a-race-against-time/a-50530195

The same pattern of increased infections post-GE mosquito releases occurred in India:
In 2017, Oxitec released their First generation “Friendly Aedes” into Dawalwadi, India.
https://www.ieyenews.com/oxitec-and-gbit-announce-launch-of-friendly-aedes-project-in-india/).

Within TWO YEARS, they had a 600% increase in dengue fever cases. Chikungunya cases went increased 77% compared to cases in 2020.

Even malaria was on the rise:

https://outbreaknewstoday.com/india-dengue-chikungunya-cases-up-dramatically-in-ahmedabad-78437/

It is clear to me that Oxitec’s releases have only INCREASED the rate of mosquito-borne infection & cases!! WE DO NOT WANT THAT IN CALIFORNIA.

Other concerns:
2. Nature ABHORS a vacuum. When you reduce one species, another will take its place.

3. The adverse impact on non-target species remains unknown and poorly studied, if at all.

4. GE mosquitoes will disrupt native populations!
”Genetic sampling from the target population six, 12, and 27–30 months after releases commenced provides clear evidence that portions of the transgenic strain genome have been incorporated into the target population. Evidently, rare viable hybrid offspring between the release strain and the Jacobina population are sufficiently robust to be able to reproduce in nature. The release strain was developed using a strain originally from Cuba, then outcrossed to a Mexican population. Thus, Jacobina Ae. aegypti are now a mix of three populations. It is unclear how this may affect disease transmission or affect other efforts to control these dangerous vectors. These results highlight the importance of having in place a genetic monitoring program during such releases to detect un-anticipated outcomes.” -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49660-6

NOTE: Oxitec has some glaring conflicts of interest.
First, it is a biotech company heavily funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust (both heavily invested in mRNA/vaccines).
Could this be a “problem-reaction-solution” move? I think so, considering that the rate of infection has only continued to skyrocket with Oxitec’s previous releases.

"In 2015, Intrexon purchased Oxitec, a maker of genetically sterile insects, for $160 million.[5] In April 2019, Intrexon formed a subsidiary called Precigen, with a focus on human gene therapy. Precigen went on to win orphan drug status from the FDA for a CAR-T based therapy (investigational drug name PRGN-3006) to treat acute myeloid leukemia.[6][7] In early 2020, Intrexon adopted the name of its subsidiary, Precigen, and narrowed its focus to human gene editing.

7. Who stands to benefit from these releases? The pharmaceutical industry.
Moderna sees a window of opportunity. More disease = more profits to be made with new vaccines.
Moderna received 125 million from BARDA to develop an mRNA Zika vaccine.
Moderna also received funding (25 MILLION) from DARPA to fight Chikungunya with another mRNA vaccine.

Oxitec (aka: Precigen) is simply a biotech company established to create a situation that will lead to more profits. "Precigen is a dedicated discovery and clinical stage biopharmaceutical company advancing the next generation of gene and cell therapies using precision technology to target the most urgent and intractable diseases in immuno-oncology, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases." https://precigen.com/about/

More concerns that were so excellently summarized by GeneWatch:

"Oxitec states that this GE mosquito has now been superseded by a new GE mosquito, OX5034, and thus the previous applications to release OX513A have been withdrawn. Very limited information regarding the newer OX5034 strain has been provided by the applicant in a published letter to the EPA.

The main substantive difference, compared to the earlier OX513A strain, is that the genetically engineered killing mechanism in OX5034 is intended to kill the female GE mosquitoes only, with GE males surviving for multiple generations. Although there are some important differences between the OX513A strain and the 2nd generation OX5034 strain, many of the issues raised regarding the 1st generation releases remain of concern and have not been addressed.
In addition, because the OX5034 strain is female-killing only, GE males are expected to survive for multiple generations and this will considerably increase the spread of genes from the introduced strain into the wild population.
In an online presentation, Oxitec presents this as a benefit because it argues that the released laboratory-derived strain will spread insecticide susceptibility genes into the wild mosquito population: however, there is no guarantee that only beneficial and no harmful traits will be spread in this way.”

And,

"GeneWatch UK has repeatedly warned (including in its previous regulatory submissions cited above) that this partial survival rate, even if low (a reported 3 to 4% in laboratory conditions), would lead to the establishment of hybrid mosquitoes in the environment, which might possess altered properties, including the potential for enhanced disease transmission or resistance to insecticides. A recent paper, reporting monitoring of wild mosquito populations following some of Oxitec’s experiments in Brazil, has confirmed that such hybrid mosquitoes have indeed spread into the area surrounding the release sites. See “Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49660-6

Also from GeneWatch:
An important lesson from this research is that the EPA cannot adequately protect human and animal health and the environment by focusing the assessment of risks solely on the active ingredient tTAV– OX5034 (which provides the genetically engineered killing mechanism for the mosquitoes). This is because other introduced traits, which are present due to the use of a non-native strain of mosquito (such as altered disease transmission properties), may also pose serious risks to human and animal health and the environment. As noted above, Oxitec’s male OX5034 GE mosquitoes are ‘female- killing’ only: they are intended to mate with wild females and produce female offspring which die as larvae, whilst GE male mosquitoes from each generation continue to survive and reproduce. Thus, due to the survival of GE males for multiple generations, the OX5034 strain is expected to increase, rather than reduce, the spread of genes from the released GE non-native strain into the wild Aedes aegypti mosquito population…” Source: http://www.genewatch.org/uploads/f03c6d66a9b354535738483c1c3d49e4/GeneWatch_EPA_Oxitec_consul19_fin.pdf

CDPR does NOT have enough evidence or data that can ensure the health, safety, and efficacy of ANY proposed release of CrispR-engineered mosquitoes (let alone other Oxitec-created GE insects in the future).

1. CDPR has not thoroughly examined any peer-reviewed science/data that can demonstrate the efficacy of the intended experiment. They are blindly trusting the EPA, and failing to do their own thorough investigation into the real risks of releasing GE mosquitoes in California.
Also note: Florida had their first cases of malaria AFTER Oxitec released their GE mosquitoes there. Please, WAKE UP.

Aedes mosquitoes travel. They do not know county lines and state borders. This is an irreversible experiment.

To everyone involved in this decision to advance the use of genetically engineered insects into this state are on-notice. We do NOT want your CrispR-engineered interventions. We will hold you accountable for disrupting our vibrant ecosystem should you proceed with any GE insect release.

This notice of liability and accountability includes all CDPR staff members and Mosquito Vector Control District managers who choose to participate in the release of Oxitec’s GE mosquitoes AND:
Rekha Pasupuleti: CDPR Staff Toxicologist
JT Teerlink, PhD Deputy Director and Science Advisor
Matthew Michel: Environmental Scientist Plants, Pests, and Disease Program Evaluation Branch

Brian Portoni Pesticide Evaluation Branch Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)

Jessica Wong, Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)

Lan-Xin Shi, Ph.D. Plants, Pests, and Disease Program (PPDP) Pesticide Evaluation Branch Department of Pesticide Regulation

Jill Townzen, Branch Chief, DPR

Sincerely,

Kathryn Saari

Resources:

2017 GE release in India: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oxitec-and-gbit-announce-launch-of-friendly-aedes-project-in-india-611503055.html

2017 GE Release in Brazil: https://www.oxitec.com/en/news/oxitec-launching-friendly-aedes-project-in-juiz-de-fora-brazil

Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49660-6

https://www.science.org/content/article/study-dna-spread-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-prompts-backlash