D3180: Comparing the efficacy of x-ray and gamma irradiation for sterilizing male mosquitoes in SIT programs

Sterile insect technique (SIT) has proven to be very effective as a key component in area-wide integrative pest management for multiple agricultural pests, and in recent years interest has been growing in applying SIT to mosquito vectors of importance to human health. SIT maybe particularly useful for peridomestic vectors like Aedes aegypti that live in close proximity to humans, occupy cryptic larval breeding sites with adults that rest in places difficult to reach with sprays, and that have some populations showing resistance to common chemicals used in mosquito control. For SIT, males are typically sterilized by exposing them to gamma radiation. However, gamma irradiators are not always available of easily accessible due to restrictions on the radio-isotopes used. One solution to this problem is to irradiate male mosquitoes using x-rays rather than gamma sources because x-ray irradiators are readily available, relatively affordable, and do not require the stringent safety and security restrictions necessary for gamma irradiators. Here we compare an established gamma irradiator heavily used for an operational Ae. aegypti SIT pilot program with that of a new x-ray irradiator for sterilizing male pupae and adults while maintaining male performance after irradiation.