A shocking one-third of Americans believe this Zika conspiracy theory

Fear and misinformation about the Zika virus still abound, according to a new survey just released by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center. Most notably, the survey finds that more than a third of respondents incorrectly believe that genetically modified mosquitoes have caused the spread of the disease.
The survey, which was conducted this month by telephone, included 1,014 respondents in the U.S. It included eight questions probing participants’ knowledge about the disease and its transmission and their level of concern about it. Some questions suggested a high level of knowledge about the disease on certain fronts. Ninety-one percent of respondents were aware that mosquitoes transmit the virus, for instance, and two-thirds of respondents said they were familiar with news reports about Zika.
On the other hand, fewer than half of the participants correctly identified Brazil as the country with the largest current Zika outbreak. Nearly 20 percent of respondents incorrectly believe that it’s possible to contract the virus by sitting next to an infected person. In fact, Zika is primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes, although it could also be contracted by blood or sexual contact with an infected person.
And, yes, 35 percent of respondents said they believed genetically modified mosquitoes have caused the spread of the virus. This is a myth that began making the rounds back in January, fueled by a spate of speculative articles in the media.
The rumors suggested that the outbreak of Zika in Brazil was caused by British biotechnology company Oxitec, which was conducting trials of a genetically modified mosquito in the country. The Oxitec mosquito is essentially sterile — its offspring die before they make it to adulthood. When released outdoors and allowed to breed with regular mosquitoes, the intended effect is to reduce wild mosquito populations. In fact, the major goal of its design is to reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.
The idea that the modified mosquitoes were somehow responsible for the Zika outbreak has been roundly debunked by experts — but the survey suggests that this misinformation is still widespread within the general public. On a more optimistic note, however, the survey also found that 43 percent of respondents believe the modified mosquito could actually help stop the spread of the virus.
Other survey questions indicated high levels of both concern and optimism, as far as the disease is concerned. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they were concerned, in some capacity, that Zika would spread to their location. It’s a possibility that has received mixed responses from experts, although many have deemed it unlikely.