Months after a Bill Gates tech start-up released millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in to the wild, mosquitoes across the US are testing positive to extremely rare and deadly viruses, some of which have never before been reported in the United States.

Various states across the country have reported a sharp increase in mosquito-borne viruses. In the Midwest, cases of the mosquito-borne Jamestown Canyon Virus are on the rise. Jamestown Canyon virus can cause severe disease, including infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Health officials say two mosquito pools in South Georgia have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis which has a 30% fatality rate in humans.