Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Report dated 05/17/98
In response to the current detections, and consistent with response protocols, traps are being deployed in the core area of 100/sq. miles. For each square mile surrounding the core, trap density is 50/sq mile. Working outward, for each square mile, there are then 25/sq. mile, 20/sq. mile, and 10 /sq mile. This allows us to determine the extent of the infestation. As traps are deployed counts may change rapidly, as may the treatment and quarantine areas.
In response to these detections, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved four applications of ground bait treatments in the four square mile "core" area; however, at this time, actual treatment is limited to an area of about two square miles (this will be easier to follow with the map being sent tomorrow). Should any flies be discovered in the regulated area outside the "core" (four sq mi) area, EPA has also approved application to the affected host material within a 200 meter radius surrounding the fly detection. In addition to the ground bait treatments, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and FDACS are gearing up for sterile fly release, as soon as practicable.
In addition to the measures above, fruit stripping at fly sites is being used.
FYI: This infestation is somewhat different from that in Umatilla. Some background on this area: It is across the water from Snead's Island which was treated last fall. Trapping density has remained heavy (at least 25/sq. mile) in Bradenton, through April 17th of this year, when eradication was officially declared. At that time trap density decreased to about 10/sq. mile for about two weeks, and dropped to about 5/sq. mile two weeks ago. Throughout that time, no Medflies were detected in any of the traps. It is something of a puzzle - given the trapping density, and life cycle of the fly (at least a 21 day life cycle) it is unusual (and unfortunate) that there were no detections prior to this week.
A public meeting was held Saturday at the Manatee High School. USDA and FDACS gave an overview of the current infestation, basic information on the Medfly itself, efforts to exclude introduction, measures taken to effect eradication, and measures being taken to prevent spread of the Medfly out of the area. It was made clear that there was no intention of using aerial applications, and that sterile flies would be released as soon as practicable. Afterwards, citizens were provided an opportunity to ask questions.
About 30 citizens attended. Informational material was available from USDA/FDACS, as was information from SCRAM (Sarasota and Manatee Citizens Rallying Against Malathion). While several questions were asked, most speakers preferred to make comments. Comments included the following:
Comment - FDACS/USDA hasn't done enough education/communication.
Done more than before (Tampa), but still need more education of citizens
- especially regarding actions that citizens can take to reduce risk for
Medfly reproduction and movement out of the area (e.g. fruit stripping,
not moving fruit out of the area, not composting certain fruits/ vegetables,
etc)
So far, citizens have been allowing application of malathion to their
property.
As before, DNA analysis will be run on the captured Medflies. Preliminary
results should
be available within about 7-10 days, definitive analysis takes a good bit
longer. (Still awaiting final report on flies in Umatilla).
Environmental Monitoring: DEP determined that they did not need
to take water samples of the Manatee River, given the size of the river
(volume of water) and that this is a ground bait treatment. I believe
USDA is sampling the River.
Heath Monitoring: DOH personnel received hotline training Friday
afternoon. No report available at this time.
Aerial application took place over Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's
application was delayed while equipment was recalibrated. A new batch
of NuLure was used, with a slightly different viscosity than what was used
last week. Several nozzles were recalcitrant, required replacement,
which delayed the first helicopter about an hour or so. Subsequent
helicopters were less a problem. A third helicopter was used, to
help cut down the application time - consequently, application was completed
around 12:30 pm. Sunday's treatment was less problematic, and was
completed by about 8:30-9:00 am.
Enviromental Monitoring:
New sample results:
Drift cards (second application)
5/11 Bay Lake: Positive at water's edge and at 100 m, 150 m, and 200 m from
waters edge. Sample at 50 meters was not available (card lost to circumstances
outside the sampler's control).
5/12 Lake Yale: All samples below detection limits (water's edge, 50 m, 100
m, 150 m, and 189 m from water's edge.
Note: Bay Lake is a small lake, no public access. Drift cards have been
positive, you may recall the second pre-application concentration
of malathion was 1.1 ppb. There are fish in lake, and at this time
no visual evidence of adverse effects (no fish kills, etc). We are
working with the pilots to see what additional measures can be made to
help identify this area from the air.
Health Monitoring: One additional call has come in reporting eye
irritation/infection. Symptoms occurred about one week after the
first application. DOH is following up with the caller and his/her
physician, to determine if the bait application is causally related.
There have been no calls/visits to the emergency room or hospital reported.
The Science Advisory Panel (this is the "bug" panel - made up of Medfly
experts) will be meeting Monday and Tuesday to discuss the infestations
in Umatilla and Bradenton, and formulate recommendations to USDA/FDACS
regarding treatment options.
The Florida Helpline continues to receive calls from citizens in Tampa
and Sarasota, opposing the use of ground bait applications of malathion.
Some callers also voice their opinion that the information provided by
the Health Department is inaccurate/misleading.
FDACS - Division of Plant Industy:
Mediterranean fruit fly information
[Response] - Basic information is provided to property owners when
permission
is sought for ground bait treatments on private property. FDACS and
USDA are working with the media to get accurate coverage of the situation
as it develops. The group represented by the commenter has worked
w/FDACS to develop flyers, on these and other topics. This information
along with other documents and handouts were available at the public meeting.
Media coverage has been fairly broad also.
Comment - Request for more dumpsters, in which properly
bagged fruit can be disposed.
Comment - Request/comment that FDACS do more fruit
stripping for citizens.
[Response] - At this time, resources are extremely stretched -
while
state/federal employees are stripping those areas of a fly find, proper
priority is to get ground bait applications out.
Comment - General strong support for sterile release.
Comment - Frustration that sterile release couldn't
be started immediately. State was aware of this possibility since
Tampa outbreak - why aren't sterile Medflies being released as preventative
measure?
Apparent lack of commitment from FDACS for sterile program.
Response Unfortunately, funding isn't currently available for
ongoing sterile release program.
Comment- Opposition for malathion in general.
Malathion isn't safe. State has mislead the public saying it is.
Comment - Support for California program - particularly
continual release of sterile Medflies as a preventative measure. Florida
program
should be more like California program.
[Response] - This was occasionally mistakenly portrayed as having
no
malathion component. Also, there seemed to be little realization
or acknowledgement that California was not able to implement sterile
release as preventative measure until California legislature provided ongoing
funding source.
Comment - This area contains a cluster of childhood
cancers - is a particularly sensitive area - malathion should not be used.
[Response] - Department of Health (DOH) personnel were present, we
will follow up on that statement.
Comment - Government personnel decent folks, trying to
do a good job, don't always have resources necessary. Citizens should
work with them. Common goal - no one wants Medfly in area.
Comment - Congratulations to DACS for listening to citizens
requests, and allowing citizens to determine if ground bait treatment will
or won't be made on their property.
[Response] - I don't believe this is actually "new" - however, it
may not have been appreciated during the Tampa program, where
misinformation/misunderstanding was not an unusual occurrence.
Comment - Conversation with EPA employees indicates
that EPA has determined malathion is a carcinogen.
[Response] - SCRAM is distributing a flyer that states "EPA has
labeled
Malathion as a likely carcinogen and shows a significant incidence of tumors
in their study." Neither FDACS nor DOH has been provided this information
from EPA. EPA personnel at the meeting were not able to determine
the source of this claim. It is my understanding that the carcinogenicity
status is still under review; that pathologists are reviewing the slides.
Comment - There is a lawsuit in California involving
a claim that aerial application caused physical harm to an individual.
Affidavits are available to substantiate this claim.
Comment - About 25% of the uses of malathion are
for home/garden uses. Rates usually higher than rate being used
to treat Medfly.
Umatilla
Fly count is about 1311, with the additional detections occurring within
the current treatment area.
The lab has advised me of several sample results, previously reported
in one of my updates, that need correction:
For 5/3/98 (post application samples) -
Palm Lake: 15 ppb
Geneva: 1.3 ppb
Gibson: 4.5 ppb
Yale: 1.2 ppb
5/3 Bay Lake: 62 ppb (first application, post sample)
5/11 Cresent Lake: below detectable levels (BDL) at waters edge; positive
at 30 m out; BDL at 100, 150 m from water's edge; positive at 200 m from
waters edge.
USDA APHIS: Mediterranean fruit fly information
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-809:
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet ENY-626:
Mediterranean Fruit Fly: What Floridians Need To Know