Malaysia uses mosquitoes in dengue fever battle

6,000 genetically modified insects released in groundbreaking test

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia released about 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes into a forest in the first experiment of its kind in Asia aimed at curbing dengue fever, officials said on Wednesday.

The field test is meant to pave the way for the use of genetically engineered Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes to mate with females and produce no offspring or ones with shorter lives, thus curtailing the mosquito population.