Genetically modified (GM) male mosquitoes are going to be freed in Pulau Ketam, a fishing village south of Kuala Lumpur. This is an attempt to kill Aedes mosquitoes which spread dengue fever. Read the article http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/81999.
First of all, there is a need to correct the statement. The use of genetically modified male mosquitoes cannot kill the mosquito per se .. they are not armed with biological weapons to zap the existing mosquito population. I assume that they are using sterile male mosquitoes. What the released sterile male mosquitoes will do are to compete with existing fertile male mosquitoes and reduce the female's frequency of mating with such males and produce eggs. Thus the population cannot be wiped out but controlled because there will be fertile male - female matings. Such biological controls do not achieve 100% eradication (most biological control attempts do not achieve this but some have gone awry) but only control the population. Knowing the short life span of the mosquitoes, there is a need to repeat the release for adequate control. One release is insufficient. The fear that environmentalist have is that the genetically modified male mosquitoes may pass on unwanted traits accidentally and cause the production of new mosquitoes which will create more havoc. Imagine the scenario of new super mosquitoes that cause more harm than the present dengue mosquitoes.