usvi-on-line
Remarkable new Dengue eradication program
Remarkable new Dengue eradication program
I was relaxing by the pool in NH yesterday, catching up on some New Yorkers and a Scientific American, when I read in the June issue of the latter of a very promising effort to eradicate dengue worldwide, and potentially CHIKV as well.
I should start by pointing out that these shouldn't be high on your worry list as visitors to the VI. Dengue and CHIKV are spread by the mosquitoes from other infected people, and thanks to the National Park, the population density on St. John is quite low, and a lot of the people on island are visitors. There just aren't enough infected people to sustain much transmission, and herd immunity set in last year for CHIKV. In more densely populated residential areas of St. Thomas, however, dengue remains an issue, and 2.5 billion people worldwide in over 100 countries are exposed to it.
The international program is called "Eliminate Dengue" (www.eliminatedengue.com), and is headed up by Scott O'Neill, at Monash University in Australia. Their work has taken over a decade to develop, but is now up and running; it involves inoculating Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes with a harmless bacterium (Wolbachia), which the mosquitoes pass along in their eggs, and which renders they and their offspring incapable of transmitting Dengue. The inoculated mosquitoes spread through the population until they all carry the bacterium, and no longer pose a threat for Dengue. Early data shows promise that infected mosquitoes are also incapable of passing along CHIKV and yellow fever. Nearly 60% of insect species already carry this bacteria, including some mosquitoes, but not not the one species that really counts: Aedes Aegypti. The work of the Eliminate Dengue program is supported by the NIH, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust, and they currently have active release programs operating in Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Vietnam. It would really be huge if the VI could get into the program. I have sent info on the program to the VI Dept. of Public Health, as well as our new Senator at Large. This might also be the sort of thing that a consortium of villa owners could fund.
There is a short video on the ED web site (www.eliminatedengue.com) that shows how the process works. You can purchase a digital copy of the June issue of Scientific American, which had an excellent article on the ED program, for $5.99, here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... at-dengue/
All the best,
Kevin
I should start by pointing out that these shouldn't be high on your worry list as visitors to the VI. Dengue and CHIKV are spread by the mosquitoes from other infected people, and thanks to the National Park, the population density on St. John is quite low, and a lot of the people on island are visitors. There just aren't enough infected people to sustain much transmission, and herd immunity set in last year for CHIKV. In more densely populated residential areas of St. Thomas, however, dengue remains an issue, and 2.5 billion people worldwide in over 100 countries are exposed to it.
The international program is called "Eliminate Dengue" (www.eliminatedengue.com), and is headed up by Scott O'Neill, at Monash University in Australia. Their work has taken over a decade to develop, but is now up and running; it involves inoculating Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes with a harmless bacterium (Wolbachia), which the mosquitoes pass along in their eggs, and which renders they and their offspring incapable of transmitting Dengue. The inoculated mosquitoes spread through the population until they all carry the bacterium, and no longer pose a threat for Dengue. Early data shows promise that infected mosquitoes are also incapable of passing along CHIKV and yellow fever. Nearly 60% of insect species already carry this bacteria, including some mosquitoes, but not not the one species that really counts: Aedes Aegypti. The work of the Eliminate Dengue program is supported by the NIH, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust, and they currently have active release programs operating in Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Vietnam. It would really be huge if the VI could get into the program. I have sent info on the program to the VI Dept. of Public Health, as well as our new Senator at Large. This might also be the sort of thing that a consortium of villa owners could fund.
There is a short video on the ED web site (www.eliminatedengue.com) that shows how the process works. You can purchase a digital copy of the June issue of Scientific American, which had an excellent article on the ED program, for $5.99, here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... at-dengue/
All the best,
Kevin
