Tag: Dr William Petrie
Judge rejects anti-GM mozzie application
(CNS): Justice Ingrid Mangatal has rejected the application by local activists to overturn a decision of the National Conservation Council regarding the controversial release of millions of genetically engineered mosquitoes in West Bay. However, this does not mean the bio-engineered bugs will be released in the Cayman Islands just yet. In the absence of her […]
Health concerns rise with 3rd Zika case
(CNS): With three cases of the Zika virus now confirmed in the Cayman Islands, the delay in the planned release of bio-engineered mosquitoes to control the Aedes aegypti has fueled public health concerns. The release set for last Thursday was deferred when activists objecting to the proposed project to try and eliminate the invasive species […]
GM mosquito release to begin next week
(CNS): Officials from the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) have confirmed that the release of genetically modified mosquitoes will begin in West Bay next Thursday. The controversial project to try to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito using sterile males bio-engineered by the UK-based firm, Oxitec, has met with some community opposition but the government […]
Two cases of Zika confirmed in Cayman
(CNS): Although Cayman managed to remain Zika free for a considerable time as the virus raged across the region, public health officials confirmed Tuesday the first two Cayman Islands cases of the virus, imported by returning residents who contracted the virus overseas. Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said the patients are both […]
Oxitec to release 200,000 GM mosquitoes weekly
(CNS): The bio-technology firm which is beginning a mosquito population reduction programme in West Bay next month has revealed that as many as 200,000 genetically engineered insects will be released each week over the life of the project. Over the next few months, as many as 4 million, mostly male, Oxitec GM Aedes aegypti mosquitoes […]
Zika spreads through region, Cayman still clear
(CNS): As the Zika virus continues to spread thoughout the region, as of Monday, there are no reported or confirmed cases of Zika virus in the Cayman Islands. Noting that there are now 47 countries reporting active Zika transmission, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez urged the public to take “an abundance of […]
MRCU leads charge to keep Cayman Zika free
(CNS): The director of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) said that his department’s contingency plan for the possible arrival of the Zika virus to the Cayman Islands is underway as staff work on the ground in yards across the island. There are still no reported cases of Zika here but with more than […]
Cayman still Zika-free as virus spreads across region
(CNS): The mosquito-borne Zika virus has now been recorded in 34 countries around the Americas and beyond, including in the United States, but so far the Cayman Islands has kept the illness at bay. The acting medical officer of health said that as of Tuesday, 16 February, no cases or suspected cases of Zika have […]
MRCU plans Aedes aegypti bombardment
(CNS): Armed with a boost in resources from government, new equipment and specialist insecticides, the Mosquito Research & Control Unit is planning to bombard the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito in order to protect the community from the inevitable arrival of the Zika virus. During a press conference Tuesday about plans to deal with the virus, […]
