Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Initiate Second Phase of Florida Keys Pilot to Combat Disease Transmitting Mosquito
MEDIA ADVISORY - REVISED
UPDATE: 11 August 2021
Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Initiate Second Phase of Florida Keys Pilot to Combat Disease Transmitting Mosquito
· Phase two, known as “Project B”, includes expansion of the project to new areas and will commence week of August 9th;
· Project A has resumed following Hurricane Elsa;
· Pilot approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS);
· Public support in project areas remains high.
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Ltd announced the dates and locations for the second phase of the US EPA-approved project to evaluate this safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solution to control the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Project managers anticipate that during the week of August 9th boxes will be placed in six areas: two on Vaca Key, two on Little Torch Key, one on Conch Key and one on Ramrod Key. This amends an earlier advisory identifying Sugarloaf Key as a box placement site. Sugarloaf Key will not be used for box placements. Ramrod Key will be used for box placements. Extensive community engagement was conducted in all candidate box placement sites. Throughout all release locations less than 200,000 male mosquitoes are expected to emerge each week for approximately 16 weeks. Untreated comparison sites will be monitored with mosquito traps on Key Colony Beach, Summerland Key, and Little Torch Key.
Project A consists of six release sites in small areas over approximately 12 weeks with fewer than 12,000 mosquitoes emerging per week across all areas. Project B is anticipated to be four weeks longer with a greater number of mosquitoes emerging per week and consists of approximately 50 release sites throughout the six small project areas.
Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquitoes emerge from their boxes to mate with the invasive biting female mosquitoes. The female offspring of these encounters cannot survive, and the population of Aedes aegypti is subsequently controlled.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito makes up only four percent of the mosquito population in the Keys but is responsible for virtually all mosquito-borne diseases transmitted to humans. This species of mosquito transmits dengue, Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya, and can transmit heartworm and other potentially deadly diseases to pets and animals.
Quote from Andrea Leal, Executive Director Florida Keys Mosquito Control District:
“FKMCD is pleased to move into the next phase of this landmark project with our partners at Oxitec, where we will continue to evaluate this innovative approach to managing the invasive and disease spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito. Many weeks of data collection and compilation lie ahead and FKMCD remains committed to seeing the project through to a successful conclusion.”
Oxitec’s CEO, Grey Frandsen: “We’re excited to initiate this next phase of the project. It’s exciting to be able to involve more residents who have asked to participate in the project. We’ve been delighted with the progress of Project A since its launch the end of April, and we look forward to taking the next step in showing how our technology can help to address the challenge associated with this dengue-transmitting mosquito in the Keys.”
ENDS
About Oxitec’s Aedes aegypti technology:
Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquito was designed to control the invasive, disease spreading Aedes aegypti. It has successfully provided significant suppression of the wild Aedes aegypti in other geographies and does not persist in the environment or cause harm to beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
This technology also removes all requirements for adult mosquito-rearing and releases, and eliminates the potential for female releases. Combined with other innovations, this technology is anticipated to reduce up to 90% of costs associated with traditional insect release programs.
Similar projects in the Brazilian city of Indaiatuba found that Oxitec’s mosquito suppressed disease-carrying Aedes aegypti by up to 95%1 in urban, dengue-prone environments following just 13 weeks of treatment, as compared to untreated control sites in the same city.
1 95% was the high 2-week rolling average and the individual weekly high was 98%; the highest 4-week rolling average was 92%.
Additional resources:
The U.S. EPA’s approval of and complete risk assessment of the pilot project;
The U.S. EPA’s responses to public comments;
The U.S. EPA/U.S. CDC memorandum on vectorial capacity of Oxitec’s technology;
The U.S. CDC’s letter confirming their collaboration in the project;
The State of Florida’s approval of the pilot project;
100+ independent peer-reviewed scientific publications on Oxitec technology;
About Aedes aegypti in Florida
· Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are an invasive species in Florida and other parts of the U.S.
· In recent years, the Florida Keys have seen locally transmitted cases of dengue and travel-related cases of Zika.
· This species makes up only 4% of the total mosquito population in the Florida Keys but is responsible for nearly all mosquito-borne diseases transmitted to humans.
To stay up-to-date or learn more about the project, please visit keysmosquitoproject.com.
FKMCD – Oxitec Mosquito Project Information:
florida@oxitec.com; questions@keysmosquito.org
+1-888-308-1859
FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project Press Office:
+1-202-792-3080