Got an email about Dengue Fever....

As a mom of three boys, I'm no stranger to mosquito bites. But I never thought I'd have to even think about mutant mosquitoes bred in a science lab biting my kids.

It may sound like the the premise of a science fiction novel, but it's really happening in my community -- Key West, Florida. A company called Oxitec wants to test its genetically engineered mosquitoes in a "real life" environment, and it decided that the town where my kids play would be a good testing ground. I don't think so.

I've been involved in a community effort to keep mutant mosquitoes out of Key West, but Oxitec has gone over our heads to the FDA to get permission to test their bugs on our community anyway.

These mosquitoes were supposedly developed to combat Dengue Fever (a disease carried by mosquitoes). But it's been years since we've had a case of Dengue Fever in Key West, because we have prevention systems in place. Oxitec -- a British corporation -- thinks its mutant mosquitoes would be a cheaper solution, but if our current system is working, why would we introduce genetically engineered mosquitoes into our community, especially when independent scientists have raised concerns over the effects the bugs could have on our local ecosystem?

Although most of the mosquitoes being bred are male, some are female, which means there's a risk of these bugs biting people. It's the FDA's job to protect Americans, not expose us to insects bred in science labs that could have unknown effects on our ecosystems and public health. I know that if enough people sign my petition, the FDA will prioritize the needs of kids like mine over the needs of corporations like Oxitec.

At the end is a link to a petition asking the FDA to stop it.