GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman,
July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
The Cayman Islands Government has strengthened its efforts to
protect residents and visitors from Zika, dengue and chikungunya
with the launch of additional mosquito controls today (28 July 2016).
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The public health programme was delayed by two weeks due to
legal action by an objector to the initiative. However, a court
ruled earlier this week that there were no grounds for the action
and lifted the temporary "stay", a legal proceeding to delay the
release, which was imposed on 13 July
2016.
"It is important that we are able to get on with the job as
there is an urgency from the public health perspective," said Dr.
Bill Petrie of the Cayman Islands
Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU). "We need to get the
project back on track and put in place the preventative measures we
have planned to reduce the risk of local transmission of
mosquito-borne diseases."
Three cases of imported Zika have recently been confirmed in
Grand Cayman, contracted by
residents who travelled to countries experiencing an outbreak of
the virus.
Known as the "Friendly Aedes aegypti Project",
operational roll-out of the pioneering technique using genetically
modified mosquitoes began this morning in West Bay. The area is a
hotspot for Aedes aegypti, the non-native species of
mosquito that transmits Zika, dengue and chikungunya as well as
yellow fever.
Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has confirmed, and the virus is also linked to
other serious medical conditions such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome,
which can lead to total paralysis. Dengue and chikungunya are a
serious threat to public health, with young children, the elderly
and those with underlying medical conditions most at risk.
The operation in West Bay is being carried out by MRCU in
collaboration with biotechnology company Oxitec.
"The technique is recommended by the World Health Organization
as a tool to fight Zika," said MRCU Director Dr. Bill Petrie. "One of the overarching
responsibilities of the Ministry of Health is to protect the health
and well-being of residents and visitors to the Cayman Islands. As a government agency, MRCU
is tasked with controlling the dangerous Aedes aegypti
mosquito population, using the best arsenal at our disposal, to
ensure this happens."
As well as the roll-out in Grand
Cayman, Oxitec is currently deploying the technique
operationally in an area of 65,000 people in Brazil, a country severely affected by the
Zika virus.
The safety and efficiency of the technique was demonstrated
through field releases in East End, Grand
Cayman, in 2009 and 2010, as well as Brazil and Panama. The Aedes aegypti population
was reduced by more than 90 per cent in the areas where these
releases took place.
"The operation we are launching today in West Bay is the
deployment of a tested technique," said Dr. Petrie. "It is a public
health imperative that we control the Aedes aegypti
mosquito, and that is exactly what we are undertaking to do."
The genetic modification technique developed by Oxitec has also
undergone exhaustive safety testing and evaluation by teams of
scientists around the world.
Earlier this year, WHO recommended pilot deployment of the
Oxitec technique, under operational conditions, to respond to the
Zika crisis which, in February, was declared an international
public health emergency.
In the Cayman Islands the
initiative was reviewed by the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of Environment and the National Conservation Council,
and official approval granted.
A proactive measure to prevent the local transmission of
mosquito-borne viruses, the genetic-modification technique is being
integrated with existing MRCU control methods which include the use
of chemical and bacterial insecticides to kill Aedes
aegypti.
The treatment area in West Bay comprises 300 acres between
Watercourse Road, Powell Smith Lane, Rev. Blackman Road and Hell Road. A hundred to 200
pots, each containing approximately a thousand genetically
modified, non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, will be
released around three times a week.
"The 'Friendly Aedes aegypti' males will seek out
the wild female Aedes aegypti and, when
they have offspring, the progeny will die before reaching
adulthood," explained Dr. Renaud
Lacroix, Oxitec's on-island project manager. "This limits
the population of Aedes aegypti, helping to
reduce the risk of viral transmission among people living in the
area."
Aedes aegypti differs from other breeds of mosquito in
Grand Cayman as it is the only one
that carries Zika, dengue and chikungunya, and bites only during
the day. Swamp mosquitoes cause the most nuisance to residents and
visitors, and are active after dark.
Working alongside MRCU staff, three Caymanians and a scientist
married to a Caymanian, have been hired to work on the project.
Kenroy Millwood, Giselle Johnson and Heidi Groves, all from West Bay, along with
Isavella Evangelou, joined the Oxitec team a couple of months ago
and are an integral part of the laboratory and fieldwork team.
"We are very excited to start this project and help make a
difference in our community," said Kenroy.
The treatment phase in West Bay is expected to last around nine
months and then be rolled out to other areas of Grand Cayman, subject to the relevant
approvals. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are not affected by the
Aedes aegypti mosquito.
How the technique works
The "Friendly Aedes aegypti" is a genetically
modified male mosquito that cannot bite or transmit diseases. When
it mates with a local female Aedes aegypti mosquito, the
offspring die before being able to reproduce. Hence, with
successive releases, the population of the Zika, dengue and
chikungunya mosquito is reduced.
Further information
Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti
mosquito
- 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).
- Chikungunya swept into Central
America and the Caribbean
in 2014 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within a
year.
- Dengue fever infects an estimated 400 million people globally
every year with about half of the world's population at risk.
- Yellow fever is a major health threat. Globally, there are an
estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths each
year, with 90 per cent of cases occurring in Africa.
About MRCU
The Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) was established in
1965 to suppress mosquito populations to minimise discomfort from
mosquito biting, to protect residents and visitors from
mosquito-borne disease, and thereby enhance the quality of life and
promote the economy of the Cayman
Islands. The department has many years' experience in
utilising integrated control to reduce the risk of local
transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.
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 (U.K.). Oxitec is a subsidiary of Intrexon
Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some
of the world's biggest problems.
Press contact:
MRCU:
Catherine MacGillivray
Catherine.MacGillivray@gov.ky
+345-244-1773 (office)
+345-926-6110 (mobile)
Oxitec:
Matt Warren
info@oxitec.com
+44-(0)1235-832393
For more information:
http://www.mrcu.ky
http://www.oxitec.com
SOURCE Oxitec Ltd