Date: 6/4/2020

To: Broward County Commission

From: Alex Stone

Subject: Mosquito control memo

Action Required: Increased funding for mosquito control in Broward County by July 1.

Distribution List: Broward County Commission

The South American continent, which is currently coming to the close of its summer, has
already recorded an increase in mosquito born illnesses. For example, in Brazil by the
beginning of May they had already experience 676,000 cases of dengue and 265 deaths,
representing a 20% increase in cases over the same time last year (de Pierro). This
outbreak has coincided with the COVID pandemic. As of 6/2/20, Brazil reported 526,447
COVID cases and 29,937 deaths (Reynolds). The combination of these two overlapping
diseases has devastated the Brazilian health care system. Broward County and the United
States already noted an increase in the number of cases of mosquito related illness in
2019. If we do not learn from other countries experiences and mistakes, we could suffer a
similar fate.
Summary
With mosquito borne disease cases on the rise and summer rapidly approaching, it is
important that we invest in mosquito control initiatives. The most common mosquito
borne diseases in the United States are arboviruses. Arbovirus is the name used to refer to
viruses that are transmitted by arthropod vectors. Mosquitoes are the most common
arthropods that spread disease and the incidence increases over the summer months in
parallel with increases in the mosquito population. Some examples of arbovirus-related
diseases in the United States are Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus, Chikungunya, and Zika
Virus. Each of these viruses is common in tropical areas and is spread by the bite of an
infected female mosquito. Arbovirus infections are difficult to treat and therefore
treatment is mostly supportive. Some can have serious consequences, such as neurologic
disorders or can lead to birth defects if a pregnant female is infected. Most do not have a
vaccine. Many of the symptoms of these diseases can mimic that of COVID-19, such as
fever, headaches and joint pains. Our medical system is currently already taxed caring for
patients with COVID infection; any further disease could overburden the system and
result in deaths.

Without effective treatment, our only option to reduce deaths from these diseases is to
increase vector control. Currently, funds have been diverted towards the COVID
pandemic, which is understandable but we must now focus on mosquito control or we
will have a crisis similar to that of Brazil. It is imperative that we take action to reduce
the incidence of mosquito borne illnesses. The increased funding will be used towards
financing both chemical and biologic vector control methods. Remaining funds would be
used to mount a public awareness campaign for Broward County to educate the
community on personal vector control options.

Mosquito Control Measures

Roughly 80% of the funding would be used to increase both biologic and chemical vector
control strategies.
Biological Control Methods

There are many biological control methods used worldwide but we would recommend the
use of the bacteria Wolbachia. Wolbachia is a gram-negative bacterium that is commonly
found in many insect species. Research has shown that infection of Wolbachia in
mosquitoes can block the transmission of arboviruses and other parasites. It has also been
shown to reduce the lifespan of infected female mosquitoes. This combination of
reduction in transmission and reduced lifespan has resulted in an optimal reduction in
transmission of mosquito borne illness. This approach, although expensive, is safe for the
environment and provides better long-term control of mosquito populations. This can be
used year around. Of the 80% of the allotted funding, almost 75% would be used towards
biological control methods.

Chemical Control Methods

 The remaining 25% of the funds toward vector control would be used towards
traditional chemical control methods. The main component of chemical control is the use
of insecticides, which are used to kill mosquitoes. There are two types of insecticides:
larvicides and adulticides. Larvicides are introduced into the water and used to kill
mosquito larvae before they become adults. Many larvicides are a mixture of a certain
type of bacteria and clay that destroys the guts of the larvae after it is eaten. Adulticides
are pesticides used to kill adult mosquitoes. Adulticides are made from a variety of
chemicals that commonly work by inhibiting the mosquito’s brain from functioning
properly. Larvicides and adulticides should be used sparingly because of the negative
results on the environment. Therefore, they should be used no more frequently than once
a month and only during peak rainy season when mosquito populations are at their
greatest.
.

Public Awareness Campaign

The remaining 20% of the allocated funds would be used to fund a public
awareness campaign designed to inform the public of the risk of mosquito borne disease
transmission and the things they can do to decrease their risk for disease. This includes
the use of insect repellants. In addition, there are environmental methods that range from
setting up mosquito netting to using a mosquito trap to kill mosquitoes. Another way to
prevent infection is to get rid of any standing water around homes and communities. See
appendix 1 for an example of a sample of flyer. This flyer would be mailed out to
residents. We would also recommend partnering with the local news channels to provide
public service announcements educating the public on personal protection strategies, like
insect repellants and the elimination of standing water sources around the home.

Conclusion
Increased funding would allow Broward County to invest in appropriate vector control
mechanisms to decrease mosquito populations and protect its citizens from mosquito
borne diseases. This would also enhance the ability of ourt health care system to focus on
the COVID 19 pandemic and appropriately use our medical resources. In addition, the
public awareness campaign will allow us to educate the community and allow them to
become an active participant in the overall health of their community.

Recommendations
It is imperative for the Broward County Commission to allocate an increase in funding
for mosquito control. An increase in funding would allow for the implementation of the
above mentioned vector control mechanism. Eighty percent of the funding would be used
to fund biologic and chemical vector control strategies. The majority of this portion of the
fFunding would be used to introduce Wolbachia into the environment, since this is the
most environmentally friendly option. We would also create a schedule to apply
larvicides and adulticides on a monthly basis throughout the county through the end of
the rainy season in September. Finally, the remaining twenty percent of the allotted
budget would be used to fund a the public awareness campaign that would start in July.
The campaign would includewit h educational flyers that would be mailed out to our
residents and a television awareness campaign in collaboration with our local news
stations.

References
de Pierro, Bruno. “Double Epidemic Could Crash Latin America Health Systems.” Sci
Dev Net, May 2020,

Reynolds, Emma, et al. “Brazil Could Reach 1 Million Cases of Covid-19 in a Few
Weeks, Study Projects.” CNN, Cable News Network, 3 June 2020,
www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-06-02-20-
intl/h_68da794c34cd5407d543a7f0eac32a76

Appendix 1: