Evaluating eBeam as a means of sterilizing screwworms
Aaron Tarone1, Cameron Bright1, Dany Mulyana2, Ashleigh Haughey1, Ryan Weesner7, Valerie R Holmes1, John Welch3, Pamela Phillips4, Sunil Chirayath5, Keyan Zhu-Salzman1, Suresh Pillai6.
1Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States; 2National Center for Electron Beam and Research and Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy In, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States; 3Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service IS, US Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, United States; 4Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service IS Screwworm Program, US Department of Agriculture, Pacora, Panama; 5Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States; 6National Center for Electron Beam and Research and Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States; 7Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
The screwworm eradication program is the first example of using ionizing radiation to sterilize insects for pest control. This USDA program resulted in the elimination of the primary screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax from North America. It was executed using Cs 137 or Co 60 to sterilize flies. However, there is considerable interest in moving toward eBeam or X-ray based methods to sterilize flies as there are economic, logistical, and security challenges associated with current practices. We are evaluating the feasibility of eBeam as a replacement for the Co 60 source currently used in Panama to maintain the eradication zone by working with a sister taxon Cochliomyia macellaria in Texas. We will report on similarities and differences in LEEB and HEEB for these purposes, based on gonad development, retrospective biological dosimetry, and life history performance after treatment. We have also simulated the ideal source of eBeam to treat screwworms with the lowest achievable DUR. Results are promising and suggest that eBeam is likely a viable alternative to gamma radiation sources, which can accommodate factory-scale production (i.e. 20 to 100 million a week) of irradiated insects for eradication efforts.
