Bt Research 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 147-156 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/bt 147 Research Insight Open Access Research on Public Awareness and Acceptance of Bt-Related Public Health Measures Hongwei Liu, Qikun Huang Tropical Microbial Resources Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: qikun.huang@cuixi.org Bt Research, 2025, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0018 Received: 21 May, 2025 Accepted: 30 Jun., 2025 Published: 20 Jul., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Liu and Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Liu H.W., and Huang Q.K., 2025, Research on public awareness and acceptance of Bt-related public health measures, Bt Research, 16(4): 147-156 (doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0018) Abstract This study focuses on "Public awareness and acceptance of Bt public health measures", and systematically analyzes the current application status of Bt (Bacteria thuringiensis) technology in the public health field and the problems of public cognition level, influence of social and cultural factors, risk communication mechanism, public participation and dynamic changes in acceptance. The study found that Bt biological control technology has significant effects in public health practices such as mosquito vector control and water source purification, and the International Public Health Organization is also actively promoting and supporting it. However, the public has insufficient scientific understanding of Bt technology, which is easy to confuse "biological prevention and control" with "genetic engineering". Media reports play an important role in public risk perception and attitude shaping. Under different social and cultural backgrounds, there are differences in risk perception and sense of security, and religious and ethical concepts may lead to resistance to the application of Bt. Through domestic and foreign case analysis, the importance of effective risk communication strategies and public participation mechanisms in enhancing public trust and acceptance is explored. This study proposes policy recommendations such as establishing a scientific and transparent risk communication system, promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and strengthening public participation in decision-making, so as to improve the public's understanding and recognition of Bt public health measures and promote the health promotion and application of this technology in the field of public health in China. Keywords Bt technology; Biocontrol; Public health; Risk communication; Public participation 1 Introduction Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a Gram-positive Bacillus that produces toxic protein crystals. It has been used for pest biological control since the 1950s. Its toxins are highly specific and killing effective against target insects (including diptera pests such as mosquito larvae), and are relatively safe for humans, animals and non-target organisms. After decades of development, the variety of Bt preparations has been continuously enriched, expanding from initially used for agricultural pest control to the field of sanitary pest control. In particular, the Bt Israeli variant (Bti) was found to have excellent killing effects on mosquito larvae in the 1980s, and was immediately introduced into the prevention and control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases (Achari et al., 2020). As the threat of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria to the health of people is becoming increasingly prominent, traditional chemical insecticides are limited in their effectiveness due to increased drug resistance and negative environmental effects. In this context, Bt bioinsecticides are valued as an important part of integrated media control strategies. WHO has published guidelines for the application of bacterial juveniles (Bti and Bacillus spherical) to include them in one of the recommended measures for the control of malaria and dengue fever vectors. Entering the 21st century, the public health field has begun to rise in a wave of Bt application in practice. In China, many urban CDCs use Bti in summer mosquito control operations, viewing it as a "green weapon" other than chemical spraying. The rise of Bt technology in the field of public health marks the gradual transformation of vector control from over-reliance on chemical agents to a more ecological and safe comprehensive governance model (Rusly, 2024).
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