GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman,
May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Programme follows
successful trial of Oxitec's
mosquito in Cayman
Islands that reduced Aedes aegypti by
96%
Oxitec and the Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit
(MRCU) announced a new plan to fight wild Aedes aegypti, the
dangerous mosquito that spreads dengue, Zika and chikungunya, to
prevent the threat of these diseases on the island of Grand Cayman. MRCU, a global leader in
mosquito control, is planning a multi-phase roll out of Oxitec's
solution to help reclaim the island from this disease-carrying
pest. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended
pilot deployment of Oxitec's solution to respond to the Zika crisis
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a
preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Oxitec's
solution for an investigational trial in the Florida Keys.
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Dr. Bill Petrie, Director of MRCU
said, "We have wanted to remove this invasive pest for a long time,
but this has proven very difficult using currently available tools
on an island the size of Grand
Cayman, so we have been looking for new approaches. The
decision to deploy the Oxitec solution comes after the success of a
peer-reviewed trial. We believe this environmentally friendly tool
can greatly reduce the population of Aedes aegypti and has
the potential to eliminate it from Grand
Cayman."
MRCU performed the world's first suppression trial with Oxitec's
OX513A self-limiting mosquito - a genetically engineered non-biting
male that mates with disease-transmitting wild Aedes aegypti
females - which successfully reduced the target mosquito population
by 96%. The Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are not
threatened by the diseases as their populations of Aedes
aegypti remain below transmission threshold; the aim is to
achieve the same for Grand
Cayman.
Chief Officer in the Cayman Islands Ministry of Health,
Jennifer Ahearn, Ministerial
Councillor for Health, Councillor Roy McTaggart, Dr. Petrie and
Oxitec's Dr. Renaud Lacroix, on
Monday (18 April) finalised the partnership by signing the
agreement between MRCU and Oxitec to reduce the numbers of Aedes
aegypti in the Cayman
Islands.
"Oxitec is very proud of our continuing partnership with MRCU.
We have benefited greatly from their expertise both for the
original suppression trial and in the process of preparing for the
current project," said Glen Slade,
Head of Business Development at Oxitec. "The first trial proved
that this approach works, and now we have the opportunity to help
protect more people from this mosquito."
Ms. Ahearn, who is responsible for the health policy, said
"During the time that we have been planning this project it has
unfortunately become all the more urgent, with first chikungunya
and now Zika threatening Cayman, the Caribbean and the Americas. Fighting the
Aedes aegypti vector and potentially eliminating it from the
Cayman Islands, is the surest way
to protect our residents and tourists from the dengue, Zika and
chikungunya viruses."
The first phase of the project will include a series of
activities to inform the community about the programme. Over two
months, Oxitec and MRCU employees will provide information to local
residents about the programme, how the solution works and why it is
effective. "Before we release our mosquitoes, which we refer to as
'Friendly Aedes aegypti', it is important to explain
that the males do not bite, do not transmit diseases and do not
persist in the environment," said Dr. Renaud Lacroix, the project manager. "Our
scientists and staff are delighted to talk about this programme,
and will be available to answer questions."
The next phase will be deployment of Oxitec's solution initially
to treat an area with about 1,800 residents in West Bay,
Grand Cayman and an equivalent
area without Oxitec treatment will be used for comparison. Then,
subject to appropriate approvals and funding, the goal of the
programme is to expand from the northwest end of Grand Cayman, where West Bay is located,
across the remainder of the island to reduce the population of
dangerous Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and help eliminate
the diseases they carry for residents and tourists alike.
Describing the Oxitec mosquito release process, Dr. Alan Wheeler, Assistant Director of the MRCU,
says, "It is one of those times where you are very grateful to see
a mosquito, because you know it's going to do its job, and there
will be fewer mosquitoes around to bite and transmit disease once
it's done."
Activities to be conducted by MRCU and Oxitec
this week:
- Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th May, 2016:
Information booth at the West bay dock.
- Saturday 7th May, 2016: Information Desk at a West
Bay location to be announced.
- Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th May 2016: House visits in the treatment
area.
A town hall meeting will be planned at the John A. Cumber
Primary School within the coming weeks.
Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti
mosquito
- Dengue Fever infects an estimated 400 million people globally
every year with about half of the world's population at risk.
- Chikungunya swept into Central
America and the Caribbean
in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within
only a year.
- Zika virus is rapidly spreading into new countries and has
caused a state of emergency in Brazil where it has been linked to a sudden
increase in birth defects (microcephaly) and nervous system
disorders (Guillain-Barré syndrome).
- Yellow Fever remains a major health threat. Globally, there are
an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths
each year, with 90% cases occurring in Africa.
About Oxitec
Oxitec is a pioneer in using genetic engineering to control
insect pests that spread disease and damage crops, and was founded
in 2002 as a spinout from Oxford
University (UK). Oxitec is a subsidiary of Intrexon
Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some
of the world's biggest problems.
Press contact:
Oxitec:
Matt Warren
info@oxitec.com
+44-(0)1235-832393
Site: http://www.oxitec.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/oxitec
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/oxitec
MRCU:
Dr. Bill Petrie
MRCU Director
+1-345-949-2557
Site: http://www.mrcu.ky