Because the infected mosquitoes are resistant to being infected by Dengue, Chikungunya and probably Zika virus, this approach should reduce the number of human cases over time and potentially lead to local elimination of these arboviruses. Brock University is the only academic institution in Canada, besides the National Microbiology lab that has a CL3 Containment lab that includes an insectary.
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Look at the chart below and one can easily reach a conclusion – the world has lost the battle against dengue, a vector-borne disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that spreads the Zika virus.
Authorities are investigating a possible link between the virus in pregnant women and microcephaly (a misshaped head due to poor brain development) in their babies.
“There is no need to panic as Zika is a mild disease and it has not been reported yet in Sri Lanka”, says Consultant Medical Virologist Dr. Janaki Abeynayake of the Medical Research Institute (MRI), urging however that we should attempt to keep it away from our shores.
While not added to drinking water supplies, pyriproxyfen has always been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in the United States, with no apparent birth defects in babies or health risks to humans, she said.
Unlike other mosquitoes that bite people only in the evening, Aedes aegypti bites throughout the day, increasing exposure to viruses like Zika. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Dr. David Williams, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, confirmed on Friday that an individual who had travelled to South America and back to Ontario has contracted the mosquito-borne disease. Both the rising prevalence of dengue and a gradually warming planet could both be affecting the current outbreak of Zika.
Hunter said Aedes japonicus, which was first detected in the Niagara Region in 2001 and has been steadily moving north, is of particular concern. The Bahamas, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda are among the nations most at risk, it said.
The St. Catharines university has received a shipment of Zika virus to conduct the testing. Similar to malaria, yellow fever, and dengue, Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquitos that thrive in warm climates.
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control finds more than 35 percent of adults get less than the recommended seven-hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.
How do people get infected?
Professor Simmons said he expected viruses like Zika to be similarly vulnerable to the mosquitoes super-infected by Wolbachia. “So far, all the cases in the USA have been through travel associated cases, so a strong way to prevent Zika is to be aware when travelling and practicing safe sex”. People often have trouble remembering every detail from six months ago – for example, when they might have been bitten by mosquitoes, the primary source of Zika infections.
However, Hunter said Canadians have no cause for panic. “We are very concerned about the onset of the mosquito season at the beginning of April”, Mayor de Blasio said last week.
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Given the stark situation we’re facing with Zika – which has been declared a global health emergency by WHO – creating mosquitoes that can’t infect people might be an effective way of stopping the virus.
