Ethical, legal and social issues of genetically modifying insect vectors for public health
Section snippets
The ethics of disease prevention
There is global support for the efforts to improve existing and develop new approaches for preventing, diagnosing, treating and controlling infectious diseases that cause loss of human life (Macer, 2003). The ethical principle that lies behind the idea of preventing, treating and controlling disease is that human life is something worth saving. There is however considerable ethical debate over the most ethical measures for achieving these goals, including the extent to which risks to human
Bioethics and molecular entomology
This paper examines some philosophical issues over the use of genetic engineering on insects for public health purposes. There is a long history of altering the behaviour of disease vectors so that they cannot transmit pathogens to humans (Spielman and D’Antonio, 2001). Insects have also long been the targets of attention in agriculture as well as in medicine. While there are few intrinsic ethical concerns about killing insect pests, as discussed below, ecocentric approaches to ethics do raise
Intrinsic ethical issues of genetic engineering
The conclusions of studies of ethical issues inherent to the process of genetic engineering compared to traditional methods of animal and plant breeding, are that the only significant differences in the process are the more precise control of genetic engineering and whether the DNA involves cross-species gene transfer that does not occur in nature (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 1999a; Comstock, 2000; Macer, 2003). One of the key questions is whether there is an intrinsic value of genetic
Animal rights concerns
Another concern in ethics when discussing animals is their capacity to suffer or feel pain. If insects do not feel pain or sense feelings, then the most prevalent ethical approach for animals would argue that there is nothing intrinsically wrong in manipulating them (Singer, 1976). However, if we consider the idea of making so-called vegemals, animals that do not feel pain, we are still manipulating life for human purposes without considering the interests of the animal (Macer, 1989). The
Consent from trial participants
Recognition of the ethical principle of autonomy means that all participants need to give informed consent to an intervention that has a reasonable risk of causing harm (Annas, 1989). There are significant difficulties in obtaining individual informed consent in some developing countries (Ekunwe and Kessel, 1984; Angell, 2000; Alvarez-Castillo, 2002), but by adequate investment of time and provision of suitable materials, it should be possible to obtain informed consent from individuals at
Environmental risks and public consensus
The human community also needs to consent to the environmental risks of a trial as these represent potential harm to other members of the biological community as well as other members of the human community. Globally people vary in the importance they ascribe to the environment, or parts of it. Especially in areas where more traditional world views are found, we may see greater value given to parts of the environment that are forgotten in the modern industrial mindset (Table 1). We also see
Ethics of technology choices
Issues include the ethics behind research into, and later financing of, technological products that attempt to “fix” a problem rather than invest in increasing the ecological knowledge base to “prevent” the problem. There is considerable preference for deterministic science over “softer” educational systems like flexible learning. It is clear that not all local communities will share the modern scientific world view that technical healing is better for them, so there needs to be flexibility in
Regulation
The internationally accepted principles of risk assessment for GMOs take into account: relevant technical and scientific details of the recipient or parental organism, the donor organism(s), the vector, the insert(s) and/or characteristics of modification, the GMO, and the methods for detection and identification of the GMO including specificity, sensitivity and reliability; as well as information relating to intended use, information on location and geographical, climatic and ecological
Conclusion
There are a variety of ethical issues that are raised from the use of GM insects (Table 1), but the most challenging may be the process of informed consent for individuals and communities. Each community or society needs to be given a chance to set consensus values on risk assessment. A universal minimal standard of risk assessment applicable to disease vectors needs to be defined, as diseases cross national and continental borders.
Before field release of transgenic insects, researchers must
References (72)
Impact of risk analyses on pest-management programs employing transgenic arthropods
Parasitology Today
(1995)- et al.
Insect transgenesis and its potential role in agriculture and human health
Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol.
(2004) - ACME (American Committee of Medical Entomology), 2002. Arthropod Containment Guidelines. Available at:...
- et al.
Malaria control with genetically manipulated insect vectors
Science
(2002) Limiting factors impacting on voluntary first person informed consent in the Philippines
Dev. World Bioethics
(2002)Investigators’ responsibilities for human subjects in developing countries
N. Engl. J. Med.
(2000)The Rights of Patients
(1989)- et al.
Genetic transformation systems in insects
Annu. Rev. Entomol.
(2001) - et al.
Research ethics. Managing risks of arthropod vector research
Science
(2000) - et al.
Decisions in circumstances of poverty
Eubios J. Asian Int. Bioethics
(2002)
Genetic manipulation of vectors: a potential novel approach for control of vector-borne diseases
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Principles of Biomedical Ethics
Compassion as common ground
Eubios J. Asian Int. Bioethics
Ethics and public health: forging a strong relationship
Am. J. Public Health
Protection of research subjects: do special rules apply in epidemiology?
Law Med. Health Care
Farmers’ perceptions and expectations of genetic engineering in Zambia
Biotechnol. Dev. Monitor
Vexing Nature? On the Ethical Case Against Agricultural Biotechnology
International Guidelines for Ethical Review of Epidemiological Studies
Law Med. Health Care
The case for de-emphasizing genomics in malaria control
Science
Issues in preparing ethical guidelines for epidemiological studies
Law Med. Health Care
Manual for Assessing Ecological and Human Health Effects of Genetically Engineered Organisms
Informed consent in the developing world
Hastings Cent. Rep.
Ten lies of ethnography: moral dilemmas of field research
J. Contemp. Ethnogr.
Ethical principles for the conduct of human subject research: Population-based research and ethics
Law Med. Health Care
Tradition and conservation in Northeastern India
Eubios J. Asian Int. Bioethics
Genetic engineering: dream or nightmare?
Research (genomics) is crucial to attacking malaria
Science
The Genome Sequence of the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles gambiae
Science
Cited by (30)
Promise or Peril: Using Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in the Fight Against Vector-Borne Disease
2022, American Journal of MedicineBiological control of pests and a social model of animal welfare
2019, Journal of Environmental ManagementCitation Excerpt :This is evidenced by examples of activist groups or crowd-based opposition to novel technologies in the past, such as persistent public debates on the safety of GMO despite scientific evidence to the contrary (Frewer, 2003; Doh and Guay, 2006; Blancke et al., 2015). Certainly in the novel pest control debate, there are strong opponents and proponents alike who are emotive champions for their cause and have the ability to attract followers through their use of emotional rhetoric (Macer, 2005; Bauer, 2007; Ernst et al., 2015). In group situations, people use the emotional reactions of others to inform their own attitudes and behaviours regarding the same object or event.
A role for vector control in dengue vaccine programs
2015, VaccineCitation Excerpt :Success has been recorded recently by the release of the OX513A transgenic mosquitoes, which reduced ovitrap captures by 81% [25]. However, the continuous breeding and release of transgenic males is costly, unsustainable at large scales, and potentially subject to ethical concerns and popular criticism [26]. Traditional population suppression methods involve application of pesticides aimed at killing the aquatic juveniles stages or adults [14].
Scientists and public involvement: A consultation on the relation between malaria, vector control and transgenic mosquitoes
2011, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and HygieneCitation Excerpt :This potential solution is gaining some support among the scientific community and public health stakeholders because of the increased knowledge in malaria/mosquito interactions and in insect immunity. While ecological, evolutionary and epidemiological issues have begun to be examined and discussed in recent years,1,2 the ethical and social aspects related to this high-tech method remain largely unexplored despite the fact that the release of genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes to alter or stop malaria transmission has potentially far reaching social and political impacts.3–5 It points to the need to develop studies at the junction between biological and social sciences in order to evaluate social issues related to research associated with this high-tech method.
Classic and novel tools for mosquito control worldwide
2022, Ecology and Control of Vector-Borne DiseasesCulex quinquefasciatus: status as a threat to island avifauna and options for genetic control
2021, CABI Agriculture and Bioscience