Insects are attacked by a wide range of pathogens, but the most well known group are the baculoviruses. There are several reasons why the baculoviruses are popular in agriculture as a means of pest control. Insects become infected by eating contaminated food, so spraying a crop is an effective means of transmitting the pathogen, and the infection is usually lethal. Baculoviruses do not infect vertebrates, and are therefore considered to be safe and selective. Nevertheless, their use has remained fairly limited due to the time taken for an infection to kill the insect. Genetic modification provides new potential to develop these pathogens as pest control agents, but what are the risks associated with their use?
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