Tag: Mosquito Research & Control Unit
NGO challenges claims on GM mozzies
(CNS): Claims that the release of genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands in a pilot programme that began this week could eliminate the Aedes aegypti, the species that transmits several diseases, have been refuted by a non-governmental organisation that monitors the use of GM technology. GeneWatch UK said that previous experiments by […]
GM mozzies to be released in West Bay
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Mosquito Research and Control Unit, in partnership with the UK-based firm Oxitec, will be releasing genetically engineered male mosquitoes across Grand Cayman in a new initiative to try and suppress the population of the Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads a number of viruses. Following controversial trials here and in Florida, […]
CDC confirms Zika is causing birth defects
(CNS): The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that scientific evidence has linked the Zika virus to microcephaly and other fetal brain defects. In a statement to the international press on Wednesday, the CDC said their study revealing the link, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks […]
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, […]
