09/14/98 - Sebring Mediterranean Fruit Fly Update - DACS

Provided by Dr. Marion Fuller
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

Report Dated 09/14/98

Sebring

Environmental Monitoring: The following data complete our (FDACS) analyses for the environmental monitoring we've been conducting in Sebring:
9/4 (pre) 9/5 (post treatment)
Lake Sebring 0.1 - 0.3 ppb 0.69 ppb
Dinner Lake 0.1 - 0.3 ppb 1.7 ppb
Little Red Water BDL 7.9 ppb
Denton lake BDL 0.48 ppb
Little Lk Bonnet BDL 1.3 ppb
All samples were BDL for malaoxon.

The Method Detection Limit (MDL) and Practical Quantitation Limit (PQL) for both malathion and malaoxon remain unchanged at 0.1ppb and 0.3 ppb respectively.

Drift card data from the same sampling event:

Tank mix (bait mixture) samples (these were pending from previous reports) from treatments made on 8/22 and 8/29: The following samples were taken from the labeled product and bait mixture associated with the eighth and final treatment:
Product formulation: malathion 97.5 %
malaoxon BDL
isomalathion 0.18 %
Bait mixture: malathion 20.9%

The product formulation is in compliance with product specifications.

Health Monitoring: Department of Health (DOH) has received a total of 15 calls since the treatments began. Of those, one was lost to follow up, one is classified as not a case, 6 as "unlikely"; 5 as "possible", and 2 as "probable" cases. These are tentative classifications, and could change with additional information. Please refer to the 08-13-98 update for a brief discussion of the case classification system.

This is my final update for the Sebring program - Sterile release will begin following the declaration of eradication (that should occur sometime in Oct or early November, assuming no more flies are trapped). I am expecting to receive final environmental data from DEP and USDA, though I can't tell you when those will be available. DEP is planning to complete their final sampling this week - results will take a little while. If anyone on the mailing list would like to receive those data, please contact me. I'll either make copies of what I get, or refer you to an appropriate contact. If anyone has any questions about the program, please don't hesitate to call. If I don't have the info you're after, I'll try to put you in touch with someone who does.

FDACS - Division of Plant Industy: Mediterranean fruit fly information
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

The UF/IFAS Pest Alert WWW site is at: http://pestalert.ifas.ufl.edu/