Splicing the Sting Out of Bugs

[Danfosha at aol.com]

Splicing the Sting Out of Bugs 
 Health: Genetic altering of insects and bacteria could prevent them from 
transmitting diseases such as malaria. But ultimate effects are 
unpredictable. 
By AARON ZITNER,  LA Times Staff Writer
4/9/01

     ATLANTA--Charles Beard's recipe for stopping the kissing bug, a tropical 
pest that kills 50,000 people each year, calls for ammonia, ink and guar gum. 
The result is an odorous goop that resembles the bug dung that, unpleasant as 
it may seem, happens to be a vital meal for young kissing bugs. 
     But Beard adds something else to his faux feces that could prove to be 
even more noxious. It is genetically engineered bacteria that, once ingested, 
render the kissing bug unable to pass along its deadly disease
    
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20010409/t000030344.html


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