HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. -- Zika is a mosquito born virus that made news headlines in South Florida last year. There is still much to learn about this virus and a member of Team Homestead is leading the charge by studying the mosquitos at Homestead Air Reserve Base.
Savannah M. Key, the Installation Public Health Administrator, Bioenvironmental Engineering Services, is studying the chemical resistance in the mosquito population at HARB.
“I’m testing the mosquito’s resistance to various chemicals like Etofenprox, Chlorpyrifos, and Deltamethrin which are used in insecticides, as well as DEET the most common active ingredient in insect repellent, and Permethrin, an insecticide for clothing,” said Key. “Currently there is no cure or vaccine for the Zika virus. The best way to prevent its spread is to prevent mosquito bites.”
The Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitos, sex with an infected person and from a pregnant woman to her baby. An infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, still birth, a birth defect of the brain called Microcephaly, and other defects.
“A tip to protect yourself this season is to re-apply insect repellent as directed and drain and cover containers that may collect water,” said Key. “If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.”
The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, headache, and muscle pain. These symptoms can last for several days to a week.
“Symptoms like cramps, chills, red eyes are indicators that you have Zika,” said Key.
Key is also using several methods to catch mosquitos so she can identify them and send them to various locations for testing.
“There are several different traps placed around base to collect mosquitoes,” said Key. “Once a mosquito gets caught in one of these traps I collect them, freeze them, separate males from females and identify the species. The females are sent to different off base locations to be tested for various diseases, to include the Zika virus.”
These traps can be identified by their colors of black, blue, camo, and stainless steel silver.
“In the blue trap we use carbon dioxide in the form of dry ice to attract mosquitos,” said Key. “The Aedes Aegypti and Albopictus mosquito species females are shipped to the Florida Department of Agriculture, Animal Disease Lab, and the Air Force entomology lab at the Air Force school of aerospace medicine at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.”
The second method she uses to catch mosquitos is the New Jersey Stainless Steel Light Trap.
“The light in the container lures in mosquitos that are then pulled in by a fan and get trapped in a plastic container until they are collected,” said Key.
The third method is Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO), a low-tech, low-budget mosquito trap.
“The AGO trap uses hay or dead grass and water, which gives off a scent that lures in pregnant mosquitos thinking there is a safe place to lay eggs,” said Key. “Once inside the trap, the mosquito is caught on sticky paper. The AGO trap actually kills the mosquitos. Right now we are the only Air Force Reserve Base using this trapping method.”
Mosquito populations are at their highest in spring and summer months.
“Mosquitoes never really go away in South Florida but there are certain times of the year when they are abundant,” said Key. “It’s my job to protect the health of the public, I love my job and I will do my due diligence so you know when you are here you are safe.”
For more information visit the Public Health SharePoint site at: https://afrc.eim.us.af.mil/sites/482FW/MDS/publichealth/SitePages/Home.aspx.