Fedoroff opens with the discussion of diseases its effects. Specifically, she discusses Zika, its origins, its spread, and its symptoms. The virus itself is localized within a few countries, including areas within South America and West Africa. However, the virus can spread through hosts without the hosts even being aware of it. This is especially prevalent in airline passengers who travel between these countries, as they can contract the virus at the places they visit and then bring it back to their home country.
Now, Fedoroff says, the virus is now within the US and being transmitted locally. She then discusses the controlling methods of mosquitos, the primary carrier of the virus. The first method was to use insecticides, which turned out to be very damaging to the environment and weren't effective overall. She then discusses another idea, one that involves genetics. This was created by Oxytec, which modify the genetic code of the mosquitos to interrupt their reproductive cycle. This proved to be an effective method but was not allowed in the US because it was a GMO.
I find this to be a very interesting discussion, as it offers a solution to a dangerous virus but isn't used because of fears of modifying a species. Overall, this technology has shown its uses in Brazil and I think it should be legalized in the US.
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