Topic: Mosquito Research and Control Unit
Two more Zika cases confirmed in George Town
Two more people, both of George Town, have tested positive for the Zika virus, according to the Public Health Department. There are now five confirmed cases of Zika in the Cayman Islands, all of which have been in George Town.
Mosquito Unit works to protect pregnant women as Zika fears grow
Some pregnant women have left the Cayman Islands and others are putting off moves to Grand Cayman now that there are known local Zika transmissions. But leaving a job and traveling overseas is not an option for many women who are pregnant and couples trying to conceive.
Public Health confirms third local Zika case
Public health officials Thursday confirmed a third local case of the Zika virus, all of which have occurred in George Town.
Most support GM mosquito initiative, says survey
A new government survey found most people on Grand Cayman support the ongoing trial of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay.
Two local Zika cases confirmed
Two people in George Town are Cayman’s first official cases of locally transmitted Zika, according to public health officials. The islands have had six cases of Zika imported by people visiting other countries, but these are the first reported incidents of the virus being acquired locally.
Cayman reports first local Zika case
The Public Health Department late Monday confirmed the first locally transmitted case of Zika in the Cayman Islands. Previously, there had been seven documented cases that were contracted outside of Cayman, but public health officials confirmed that a man in George Town is the first person confirmed to became infected with Zika in the islands.
US gives green light to GM mosquito tests in Florida
As Oxitec and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit ramp up releases of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay, regulators in the U.S. gave the company the green light to test the GM mosquitoes on an island in the Florida Keys.
Fourth imported case of Zika virus confirmed
The Cayman Islands’ fourth imported case of the Zika virus was confirmed Wednesday by public health officials.
EDITORIAL – Keeping Cayman free of threatening ‘Zika mosquitoes’
Given the choice between the risks associated with “natural” Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (which carry nasty viruses like Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever) and the potential risks of “genetically modified” Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (which are engineered to reduce the wild population) – we find ourselves more and more inclined to give the GM mosquitoes a chance.
Thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes released
Thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes were released in West Bay on Thursday, kicking off what the Mosquito Research and Control Unit and collaborator Oxitec call their “Friendly Aedes aegypti project.”
Judge explains mosquito project decision
When lawyers of opponents to the genetically modified mosquito project filed an application for a stay and judicial review on July 13 – a review that could have ended the project – Justice Ingrid Mangatal suddenly had more than 598 pages worth of evidence and documents to review.
Mosquito ‘control’ that doesn’t
We cannot keep pumping insecticide into the environment and hope to win against the mozzies.
Judge: GM mosquito project can proceed
The release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay can proceed, after a Grand Court judge on Tuesday refused an application for another stay of the project.
Judge rejects GM mosquito review
A Grand Court judge on Monday refused an application for a judicial review that could have stopped the planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay.
NEW: Judge denies request to halt GM mosquito release
A Grand Court judge Monday refused an application for a judicial review to stop the planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay.
Judge to rule Monday on release of GM mosquitoes
A judge will deliver her ruling on Monday on whether millions of genetically modified mosquitoes can be released in West Bay.
Judicial review of GM mosquito plan gets under way
A lawyer representing opponents of a planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay told a judicial review Tuesday that a “proper risk assessment” of the project had not been done.
Third Zika case in Cayman confirmed
A third case of imported Zika virus in the Cayman Islands has been confirmed by public health officials.
GM mosquitoes to be released next week
The release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay is to begin next week, government announced Thursday.
Six suspected Zika cases await results
Public Health Department officials said Wednesday they are awaiting test results on six suspected cases of the Zika virus.
EDITORIAL – Things we detest: Red tape and mosquito bites
The planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes was delayed because — read carefully — the Cayman Islands government was unable to obtain a government permit.
First Zika cases confirmed in Cayman
Two cases of imported Zika virus in the Cayman Islands have been confirmed by public health officials.
GM mosquito release delayed
The planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay, scheduled to begin in mid-June, has been put off until this month because of delays in securing a permit, according to the Mosquito Research and Control Unit and Oxitec representatives.
West Bay MLAs call for GM mosquito release delay
West Bay opposition MLAs are calling for the suspension of plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in their district.
Cayman ‘Zika free,’ health officials say
The recent case of Zika possibly linked to Cayman was not spread by local mosquitoes, but was sexually transmitted by a tourist’s partner from St. Maarten, the Cayman Islands Public Health Department said Wednesday.
Mosquito Unit ramps up as rainy season gets under way
With the start of the rainy season and the first possible case of Zika linked to Cayman, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is ramping up its operations to combat nuisance and disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Petition calls for halt to GM mosquito release
More than 570 people have signed an online petition calling for the Cayman Islands government to suspend plans to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in the district of West Bay.
Tourist tests positive for Zika
A stayover tourist tested positive for Zika after returning home, the Public Health Department said Friday. The department has not confirmed whether the person contracted Zika in Cayman, but this is the first case of the virus, which can cause birth defects in babies from infected mothers, associated with Cayman.
MRCU conducting aerial operations this week
That low-flying aircraft that might buzz about directly overhead this week is not in difficulty; it’s just the Mosquito Research and Control Unit conducting its seasonal aerial operations in an effort to reduce the size of the mosquito populations on Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands.
EDITORIAL – No buzz for mosquito meetings
The unfortunate news for the Cayman Islands (and most places on Planet Earth) is that the overwhelming majority of people just don’t care that much about topics that, objectively, fall squarely in the “public interest.”
Scientists move to quell GM mosquito concerns
Cayman’s Mosquito Research and Control Unit and U.K. biotech company Oxitec tackled questions Tuesday night from West Bay residents concerned about the planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in their neighborhood.
Meeting on GM Mosquito release
The Mosquito Research and Control Unit and biotechnology company Oxitec are inviting the public to attend a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the planned release of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes in West Bay.
Millions of GM mosquitoes to be released
The National Conservation Council has granted permit approval for the release of up to 22 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Grand Cayman over the next nine months.
Genetically engineered mosquitoes to be released in Grand Cayman
Genetically engineered mosquitoes will be released across Grand Cayman in the coming year, starting in West Bay, in an effort to control the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes responsible for spreading Zika, dengue and other viruses.
Imported case of dengue reported in Cayman
The Cayman Islands Public Health Department has reported a single imported case of dengue fever.
Cayman fighting Zika before it gets here
The red and white Mosquito Research and Control Unit plane began making the rounds this month, joined by truck-mounted foggers on the ground, to kill the mosquitoes blamed for spreading the Zika virus around South and Central America.
Mosquito Research and Control Unit readies Zika fight
Cayman’s Mosquito Research and Control Unit is gearing up to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito, responsible for carrying the Zika virus that has recently been called a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization.
EDITORIAL – Going viral: The war against the mosquito
The mosquito is the deadliest animal in the world. So says Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who adds, “When it comes to killing humans, no other animal even comes close.”
Cayman prepares for Zika
As the World Health Organization prepares for an emergency meeting Monday on the mosquito-borne Zika virus, Cayman’s public health officials say they are prepared to deal with the potential for Zika reaching the islands.
