ened ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁D eng ue , ▁a ▁vector - bor ne ▁disease ▁usually ▁carried ▁by ▁mos qu ito es , ▁killed ▁ 1 5 8 ▁people ▁that ▁year ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁including ▁ 1 0 1 ▁children ▁under ▁ 1 5 . ▁T ensions ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries , ▁couple d ▁with ▁confirmed ▁U . S . ▁research ▁into ▁ent om ological ▁war fare ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁made ▁these ▁charges ▁seem ▁not ▁imp laus ible ▁to ▁some ▁people . ▁ ▁Ex periment ation ▁and ▁testing ▁ ▁Ent om ological ▁testing ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁seriously ▁research ed ▁the ▁potential ▁of ▁ent om ological ▁war fare ▁( E W ) ▁during ▁the ▁Cold ▁War . ▁E W ▁is ▁a ▁specific ▁type ▁of ▁bi ological ▁war fare ▁which ▁a ims ▁to ▁use ▁insect s ▁as ▁weapon , ▁either ▁directly ▁or ▁through ▁their ▁potential ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁vectors . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁conducted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁field ▁tests ▁using ▁ent om ological ▁weapons . ▁Operation ▁Big ▁It ch , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁test ▁m un itions ▁loaded ▁with ▁un in fect ed ▁fle as ▁( X en ops yl la ▁che op is ). ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁mos qu ito es ▁( A edes ▁a egy pt i )