News

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) against Malaria and Chikungunya
diseases on La Reunion Island (France).
In 2005 and 2006, there were chikungunya epidemics on La Reunion Island. In response, the French Minister of Health and the Conseil General de la Reunion mobilised funds for a research project to be conducted by the Institut de Recherche pour le Development (IRD) in collaboration with experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The aim of this 4-year study, whose cost is in the order of EUR 3 M, is to determine whether SIT would be a desirable technology to eradicate the vector of Chikungunya and malaria diseases. SIT has been shown to be an efficient control for other insects and it poses little threat to the environment. Experimental studies will determine the suitability of SIT to the situation in La Reunion. (December 2008).

Summary of the original article can be found here.

Mathematical simulation of the radiation field of an RS-2400 x-ray irradiator.
The recent difficulties with shipping cobalt-60 for research irradiators, and the withdrawal of the Nordion Gamma Cell 220 from the market two years ago, lead the Insect Pest Control Section to look for an alternative means of sterilizing insects for the SIT. As a result, in 2008 we obtained a self-container, low energy X-ray irradiator (model RS2400) from the company Rad Source Technologies Inc., for evaluation.

Because of the unconventional configuration of this irradiator the photon spectrum in the centre of the load is not known and hence, it is very difficult to calibrate a suitable dosimetry system. Therefore the PENELOPE software suite was used to model the physical environment of the irradiation chamber and nuclear composition of insect pupae and dummy material. The Monte Carlo modelling produced photon spectra for the inside an irradiation canister under various conditions, which will allow us to calculate the mass energy absorption coefficients for insect pupae and hence to transfer the dose measurements from an ion chamber, as the primary dosimeter, to the Gafchromic radiochromic film system and to apply appropriate corrections factors for dose measurement and dose mapping. Simulation was developed by Dr. Uribe-Rendon from Kent State University, USA. (November 2008).

Development of the sterile insect technique for selected African malaria vectors.
A new supplement of the Malaria Journal reviews the potential use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), as one suggested additional tool as part of an integrated approach to combat the problem of malaria in Africa. The supplement, edited by Alan Robinson and Mark Benedict, who along with other editors of the FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques for Food and Agriculture, have been leading efforts to develop this technology at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria assesses how the SIT may be used against the vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, Anopheles mosquitoes.

Regarding this supplement, which is freely available under http://www.malariajournal.com/supplements/8/S2, Benedict explained that the SIT has proven highly effective when applied against other insect pests as part of an area-wide approach. The supplement was produced because of the believe that the technique has been overlooked as a complementary anti-mosquito method. Its efficiency in low vector-population settings precisely complements insecticide-treated bednets, indoor residual spraying and larval control: when they are at their weakest, SIT is at its strongest.

This supplement gives researchers and public health authorities information about the state-of-the-art as well as identifying specific challenges and requirements for eventual successful implementation of the SIT. (November 2008).

New Screwworm posters.
A set of two posters on new and old world screwworm flies (Cochliomyia hominivorax and Chrysomya bezziana) for use by quarantine and other concerned authorities in infested and endangered countries has been prepared. Poster 1 [pdf] deals with screwworm fly biology, distribution and identification. Poster 2 [pdf] addresses screwworm surveys (adults and larvae) and integrated management of screwworm flies, including the sterile insect technique. Laminated good quality sets of the posters can be ordered from Scientific Advisory Services - Australia www.saspl.com.au (richard@saspl.com.au)
(April 2008).

Private investment for controlling the False Codling moth in
South Africa.
Xsit, a private company engaged in the integrated application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control the False Codling Moth (FCM), was officially launched in Citrusdal Valley, Western Cape, South Africa in mid-November this year.

Endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is considered to be a key pest of citrus and many other crops, the FCM (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) is listed as one the most feared invasive species of many regional plant protection organizations. FMC thus carries phytosanitary status for many of the markets to which South Africa exports citrus fruits. In addition, this pest has developed resistance to organophosphate and other insecticides normally used for its control in South Africa.

To address this pest problem, a multi-agency effort started in 2002, including the Citrus Research International, the Citrus Growers association, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa, as well as USDA's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme. The approach was to develop the SIT, or its derivative for moths, inherited sterility, as an area-wide pest management tactic.

This research led to a pilot-scale SIT field trial in a commercial citrus production area, which generated a significant reduction in the FMC-related fruit damage. These encouraging results and the need to rapidly overcome increasing difficulties to export, the citrus industry decided to move towards the commercialization of FMC SIT and the building of a mass rearing facility. Thus, Xsit was established with 50% of shareholding held by the industry and 50% by a government-funded initiative to support South African biotechnology. This is the first ever project applying the SIT as part of an area-wide integrated approach against a moth pest in Africa.

Brazilian fruit fly training course 2009
The Mediterranean fruit fly mass rearing facility (Biofábrica Moscamed Brasil) is conducting its 5th Training Course on Fruit Flies, from 21 to 29 October, 2009. Training course covers a range of topics like fruit fly basic biology, applied quarantine treatments and suppression programmes using SIT. Instructors are from Brazil, Mexico, USA, and Portugal. For additional information see brochure [pdf].

Workshop on suppressing the Mediterranean fruit fly by integrating the sterile insect technique on an area-wide basis in Neretva Valley (Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) under RER5014 project
The purpose of the binational workshop held in Metkovi?, Croatia in January 2009 was: (1) to review the activities conducted, baseline data collected and results achieved under the preceding national project CRO5002 "Feasibility Study for the Suppression of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly by Integrating the Sterile Insect Technique on an Area-Wide Basis in Neretva Valley"; (2) to visit the working areas of the Neretva valley, both in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and (3) to revise the workplan of the new regional project RER5014 "Suppressing the Mediterranean fruit fly by integrating the sterile insect technique on an area-wide basis in Neretva Valley". The workshop included the participation of 8 persons (see participants picture bellow), including 4 participants from Croatia and 2 from Bosnia and Herzegovina), and for the IAEA the Programme Manager Officer, and the Technical Officer.

The activities conducted, baseline data collected and results achieved during the CRO5002 that were evaluated include technical and economic feasibility studies for the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) integrated with other techniques, the installation of a trapping system, and trapping data analyzed and uploaded into GIS maps.

Fly handling facility design, field cage tests to evaluate the mating compatibility and mating competitiveness, and studies of the overwintering population are subsequent activities necessary to advance the project to the next phase. The geographical continuity of the area inside the Neretva valley, within which the migration of the flies largely takes place represents the opportunity for an area-wide approach to the control of this pest integrating SIT with other methods, was the main reason to engage in a joint binational project for the 2009-2011.

The revision of the workplan of the RER5014 was done focused on the 2009 activities and some changes on the initial project Logical Framework were made according the needs of both national counterparts.

Brazilian fruit fly training course
The Mediterranean fruit fly mass rearing facility (Biofábrica Moscamed Brasil) offered its 4th Training Course on Fruit Flies. From 17 to 25 September 25 participants from Brazil and Uruguay gathered in this training course whose lectures ranged from fruit fly basic biology to applied quarantine treatments and suppression programmes using SIT. Instructors were from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Mexican fresh guava treated with irradiation cleared to enter to US
The U. S. Department of Agriculture cleared the way for imports of fresh guava on October 14. Under this new rule published in the Federal Register, fresh guavas from Mexico must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 gray, and each consignment must be inspected by Mexico's National Plant Protection Organization. Sterygenics, operates an irradiation service for medical sterilization in an irradiation plant near Mexico City that has now been adapted to also allow fruit irradiation. Benebion, another company, is building a cobalt-based irradiation facility in the state of San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico, that plans to open next year, and that is designed specifically for phytosanitary purposes. In total, Mexico produces about 300,000 metric tons of fresh guavas, which until now are totally consumed in the domestic market due to a lack of a viable post-harvest treatment.

Panama declares Azuero as free of Mediterranean fruit fly
The Panamanian's Ministry of Agriculture declared the peninsula of Azuero and the southern part of Veraguas province as a Mediterranean fruit fly-free region in March of this year. Since 2002 this area has been under fruit fly surveillance carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the FAO/IAEA Programme (Technical Cooperation projects RLA5045 and PAN5016). Results of four years of surveillance demonstrated that Mediterranean fruit fly is absent allowing this region to qualify for exporting fresh tomato, pepper and papaya without undergoing any quarantine measures. In addition, this is a major step to start the eradication of the West Indian Fruit Fly from this area, which would definitively boost this area's ambition to become one of the most important fresh fruit exporting areas in Central America.

Workshop on Agriculture Biosecurity in Australia
This international training workshop based at the Griffith University Fruit Fly Research Program, is conducted by the International Centre for Management of Pest Fruit Flies (ICMPFF). The teaching staff includes R. A. I. Dew and S. Vijasegaran. The workshop covers a wide range of topics like fruit fly identification, biology, quarantine strategies, emergency response and meeting the requirements of the WTO-SPS agreement. The workshops will be offered in March and September 2009. For additional information please contact d.drew@griffith.edu.au.