OXFORD, England, May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Oxitec and Piracicaba City Hall have
today finalized their multi-year expansion of the 'Friendly
Aedes aegypti Project' to cover an area of 60,000 people in
the center of the city of Piracicaba, Brazil. Due to the large number of
people who travel through this region, this project may also
benefit neighbouring areas of the city. Additionally, the initial
project, which has been deploying Oxitec's OX513A solution in an
area of 5,000 people in the CECAP/Eldorado district since April 2015, has been extended.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150630/227348 )
"Piracicaba's decision to broaden the
reach of our project demonstrates their confidence in our
innovative vector control solution and is an important step forward
in the effort to combat the dangerous Aedes aegypti
mosquito, and the viruses it transmits, in a highly targeted and
environmentally safe manner," said Oxitec Chief Executive Officer
Hadyn Parry. "We have a
cost-effective solution that is proven and ready to be deployed to
make a real impact in saving lives and protecting economies."
It is estimated that up to half of the world's population lives
alongside the dangerous Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes which are the primary vector for dengue, chikungunya,
and Zika virus -- some of the most damaging arboviruses to public
health and economies of nations. For Brazil in particular, this mosquito has become
an increasing health risk given the significant incidence of dengue
as well as the rise in Zika and chikungunya infections. The
Zika virus has been linked to birth defects such as microcephaly,
and all three viruses cause a number of neurological disorders such
as acute myelitis, meningoencephalitis, and
Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Efficacy trials of Oxitec's genetically engineered OX513A
mosquito across Brazil,
Panama and the Cayman Islands all resulted in a greater than
90% suppression of the wild Ae. aegypti mosquito population
- an unprecedented level of control. Oxitec's solution was recently
recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for deployment
in operational conditions, and the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) recently declared it will provide technical support for
countries that wish to implement OX513A in the fight against this
menacing mosquito.
Under the terms of the expansion/extension agreement, Oxitec
will deploy its 'Friendly Aedes aegypti' control
solution near the center of the city of Piracicaba for two years,
and continue to protect people in the CECAP/Eldorado district for another year. To
support this growing program and to meet increasing demand for its
proprietary vector control solution, Oxitec is building a new
mosquito production facility in Piracicaba that will generate many
jobs in the region. This facility will have the capacity to
produce 60 million Oxitec male mosquitoes a week to help protect
over 300,000 people.
The Health Secretary of Piracicaba, Pedro Mello, commented, "It is with great joy
that we signed this contract. It's one more step we take towards
making the city of Piracicaba the first in the world to rid itself
of this mosquito that has caused so much harm to millions of people
worldwide. From July 2014 to 2015,
CECAP/Eldorado had 133 dengue
fever cases. From July 2015 to
May 20th, 2016, the same neighborhood
had only 7 confirmed cases. Importantly we are doing this
with a technology that is innovative, clean, environmentally
friendly and sustainable."
About Oxitec
Oxitec is the only GM insect company in the world and a pioneer
in using genetic engineering to control insect pests that spread
disease and damage crops. Oxitec was founded in 2002 as a spinout
from Oxford University (UK), and is now
a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers
biology to help solve some of the world's biggest problems.
Oxitec's self-limiting insect control targets only the one species
of pest in a way that is non-toxic and pesticide-free, providing
vector control that is both effective and environmentally friendly.
Follow us on Twitter at @Oxitec.
Oxitec Contact:
Matthew Warren
Press Officer
Tel: +44-(0)-1235-832-393
info@oxitec.com
SOURCE Oxitec Ltd