Mosquito Control, Health Department Banking On Experience To Combat Zika
By Terry Schmida
Officials with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, and the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, are counting on their long experience dealing with the Aedes aegypti mosquito to see the county through the growing Zika virus pandemic.
The Zika outbreak, which so far remains concentrated in South and Central America, has been the source of growing alarm for organizations such as the Center for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization, which held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the problem.
In the Keys, a wary eye is being cast upon the Mosquito-borne illness, which can cause birth defects, and may be linked to auto-immune disorders. A handful of cases have already been reported in the United States.
“As of right now, we don’t have any reported cases in the Keys,” said Mosquito Control spokeswoman Beth Ranson. “However, we are watching it very intently. We do a lot of work against the Aedes aegypti, which is the carrier of Zika, Dengue, and the Chikungunya, and we probably have one of the most aggressive mosquito control districts in the state, if not the world. We’ve ramped up our efforts since the Dengue outbreak in 2009 and 2010, and haven’t slacked off on those efforts.”
Ranson said that the methodology for dealing with Zika fears is the same the district has been following in its ongoing fight against the troublesome mosquito.
“People should allow us onto their properties, so that we can do proper inspection for these mosquitoes,” she said. “We need to make sure they have no standing water, that their gutters aren’t clogged, and that pet bowls are filled with fresh water. People can help us keep the population of these mosquitoes down, which will lessen the chance of anybody contracting Zika, for which there is no vaccine.”
Ranson’s boss, FKMCD Director Michael Doyle echoed Ranson’s recommendations.
“Any time you remove the mosquito, you remove all these diseases,” he said. “That’s our goal, to leave so few of them, that they won’t spread viruses.
“Door-to-door inspections are important, as well as throwing out old water,” Doyle went on. “We’ll treat for larvae, and spray for adults, if they’re present. Secondly, we’re spraying over the city with a water-based mist that contains a crystal form of a naturally occurring bacteria that is toxic only to mosquitoes, called Vectobac Bti. We’re the only place in the country right now that is spraying it by helicopter.”
The planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes by the Oxitec Corporation has been stalled amid regulatory issues, Doyle said, but other methods of control are being considered.
“A second method is virtually the same as as the GMO mosquito, but instead of using genetics to sterilize the male, it’s a natural insect bacteria that sterilizes the male mosquitoes,” Doyle said. “We haven’t even officially applied for the permits for that yet, but it’s been mostly approved by another mosquito district in California. It’s not something new, and I would expect it to take a matter of months to be approved.”
There is also the possibility of dusting male mosquitoes with an insecticide powder, which they will then spread to the female mosquitoes. It’s essentially using the bugs to spread the insecticide for us.
“That one is fairly simple in terms of permitting,” Doyle said. “My understanding is that there’s a very short permitting process, which could take just a few months. That could become a reality this year.”
Ultimately, Doyle said, the extensive experience in dealing with Aedes aegypti should go a long way towards heading off a Zika outbreak in the Keys.
“Zika is not making us nervous, because we’re better prepared than most places in the country,” he said. “I’m concerned, but not panicking.”
Health Department Medical Director Dr. Mark Whiteside agrees.
“The bad news is that we’re at risk, along with a lot of the rest of the country,” Whiteside said. “The good news is we have experience dealing with Dengue. This mosquito is very domestic. It breeds around the house, and doesn’t fly very far. It is highly adapted to humans and human dwellings, and exists almost entirely in man-made containers. The whole key is keeping the home and yard clean. Don’t use huge containers that can collect water, and check your yard at least once per week. We need to make sure that everyone remembers that we need to control the mosquitoes, and get everybody pitching in. And we at the Health Department are going to be very proactive about this. We can’t let down our guard.”
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