Vaccine Research Should Be Massachusetts Next Step

As cases WNV and EEE become more frequent in Massachusetts, the state has been pouring more and more money into preventing and treating the viruses. They have done this through creating "mosquito control projects" in nine regions of the state where they regulate pesticide spraying, enforce biological controls (placing mosquito predators in certain environments) and educate the community on how to protect themselves from contracting WNV and EEE. While all these efforts have made a positive difference concerning public health and safety, the methods Massachusetts use are not long term solutions. If the state wants to eradicate the threat of mosquitoes for good, they should be turning their attention to ongoing research on vaccines for WNV and EEE.

At the Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit it Paris, France, a research team has been working on a vaccine for WNV. They've combined the measles vaccine with a strand of WNV to create immunity against the virus. So far, it has a hopeful success rate. The vaccine has been tested on primates and rodents, and within two weeks, many of them were immune.

Boston holds some of the greatest medical research facilities in the world. It would make sense if the Massachusetts government gave grants to places like Tufts Medical Center or Mass General Hospital to develop vaccines against both WNV and EEE. Funneling a larger portion tax money obtained for prevention of mosquito borne illnesses would be so much wiser and economically sound for long term results.

The pesticides Massachusetts are currently spraying all over the state have too high of a negative environmental impact to be worth it. Not only is it killing off honey bees in mass numbers, the extermination of mosquitoes is not something to be overlooked. Although they are the source of the problem, it is unfair to believe that their species should be wiped out completely. They play an important role in so many ecological systems and food webs. Killing thousands of them each warm weather season is severely detrimental to the environment. 

It is time Massachusetts take a proactive step in fighting this issue by focusing on a vaccine to save rather than a pesticide to kill.

What is West Nile Virus?

West Nile Virus is an arbovirus carried by female mosquitoes. Arboviruses- also known as arthropod-borne viruses- are illnesses that are transmitted through arthropods, and in most cases, insects. West Nile Virus (WNV) was first discovered in 1937 in the West Nile District of Uganda, hence it's name. A woman feverish woman was being treated for research on Yellow Fever when doctors discovered the disease.

Over the years, spread through Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Southern Asia until making it's way to North American in 1999. The American outbreak was first detected in Queens, New York City. It is most likely that a bird infected with WNV travelled from another country to Queens, was bitten by a mosquito, and then that mosquito transmitted it's disease to a human.

Ever since the summer of 1999, WNV has been an issue in all states besides Hawaii and Alaska. About 40,000 reported cases and 1,700 deaths have occurred in the U.S. since WNV's discovery as well. Due to this, state governments across the U.S. have focused a lot of their efforts and budgets on dealing with the spread of WNV. Especially in Massachusetts, with it's alarming rate of the virus, it's important that communities pressure their local legislatures to make wise decisions concerning prevention and treatment. Right now, aerial spraying is the most common solution. Yet, isn't it time that the government focus less on a tactic that causes more harm in the environment, and on a solution such as a WNV vaccine instead? Spending thousands of tax-payers dollars on a non-permanent solution is not being proactive. If the government diverted some of that income towards medical research, WNV infections in humans could be eradicated for good.

Controversy Surrounding Aerial Spraying

In many communities in Massachusetts, it is coming time again for aerial mosquito spraying. Trucks or even planes will cross towns at night, releasing a toxic fog over homes and ecological habitats. Massachusetts uses a insecticide product called "Anvil 10+10". This product is actually commonly used in both commercial and home practices of exterminating insects. However, despite this, many communities this year are opting out of the routine spraying. Many claim fears of the chemicals in the insecticide having harmful effects on their or their pets health and also on local habitats.

 Bill Mehaffey Jr., the superintendent of the Northeast mosquito district begs to differ. He claims that "the chemicals used in the spray have low toxicity and have been tested and approved by several state agencies as safe for use around humans and household pets." Although it is true that the public does have some false information on what's being sprayed in their communities, they are not wrong when worrying about the welfare of their neighboring ecological environments.

Beekeepers across the state have been up in arms about the mosquito spraying that have been killing off so many of their precious honeybees. Honeybees pollinate growing crops, flowers, and plants, and without them, all vegetation based food would be eradicated, causing a catastrophe for the human race. Over the past decade, honeybee population worldwide has dropped by the millions. The beekeepers in Massachusetts have every right to be alarmed by the poisonous spraying that is exterminating a vital part of human survival. Not only that, but the insecticide has a negative chain reaction when introduced into an ecological environment. Jane Wild, vice-president of the Essex County Beekeeper Association explains that, “Not only is it fatal to honeybees, but to fish, other aquatic life and the birds. We are setting things out of balance. The fish eat the mosquitoes, their eggs and larvae and the birds get exposed to the pesticide. We are all players in the chain of life. We unwisely try to address problems with use of chemicals.”

It is clear to see that Massachusetts needs to rethink it's widespread use of toxic aerial spraying if it wishes to protect it's natural resources that are so essential to overall human welfare