May 10, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Last week the pro-abortion Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, issued a press release calling for the legalization of abortion to combat the purported effects of the Zika virus. Mr. Almagro described the Zika crisis as a “historic opportunity” in the constant struggle to legalize abortion.
The neurological effects of the Zika virus upon the developing child in the womb are still not understood. Yet, there has been a loud clamor among abortion activists, like Mr. Almagro, to use the Zika virus' possible link to microcephaly as an excuse to weaken the right to life in affected regions.
At the same time, environmentalists in the United States have delayed the FDA approval of a genetically modified mosquito which has proven to eliminate up to 96 percent of the specific Aedes aegypti mosquitos that carry not only the Zika virus, but the much more lethal Dengue fever.
The company that has developed the genetically modified mosquito, Oxitec, has tested the mosquitos in Brazil and is currently releasing the mosquitos in the Cayman Islands and other Caribbean nations.
Oxitec describes itself as “a pioneer in controlling insects that spread disease and damage crops. Its products build upon the use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), an effective, species-specific and environmentally friendly method of controlling harmful and damaging insects.”
At the heart of the technology is a genetic reengineering of what Oxitec refers to as the world's most dangerous animal, the mosquito. “The mosquito has killed more human beings than any other animal in human history,” states Hadyn Parry, CEO of Oxitec.
Every year from 200-300 million human beings are infected with malaria, killing 1.5 million, and 50-100 million are infected with Dengue fever.
The way Oxitec's mosquitos work is through a fatal gene that is transmitted from a male mosquito, which does not bite human beings, but who will transmit the gene to the female who in turn will produce offspring that die before they can infect human beings.
The application of this revolutionary pest control to Puerto Rico and the Florida Keys has been stalled by the public comment requirement phase of the FDA approval, which had already tentatively approved field testing.
Pro-life leaders have warned that the link between Zika and microcephaly has not been proven. Dan Becker, president of the Personhood Alliance, stated that “while microcephaly is a serious condition, it is not usually life threatening and should never justify stripping these disabled children from their God given right to life.”
Becker concluded, “It is extremely ironic that the very people who encourage infertility among human beings through population control, would be so concerned about preserving the fertility of mosquitos.”