Genetic engineering of animals creates novel welfare questions about intended and unintended health consequences of genetic modification.
Genetic engineering of animals creates welfare considerations that extend beyond the engineering event itself. Rapid-growth transgenic salmon may develop skeletal and cardiovascular problems from growth rates their physiology cannot sustain. Livestock engineered for disease resistance may carry other unintended genetic effects. Gene drives intended to reduce pest populations raise questions about the welfare of billions of individual animals in ecosystems affected by drive-modified genetics. Precautionary welfare monitoring of genetically engineered animals, including long-term health surveillance, is essential before commercial scale deployment.